


Yet Each Man Does Not Die

by rivlee



Series: All the Difference [2]
Category: Spartacus Series (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Canon, F/F, F/M, Gen, M/M, Minor Character Death
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-02-21
Updated: 2013-04-27
Packaged: 2017-12-03 03:45:50
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 8
Words: 34,827
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/693740
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/rivlee/pseuds/rivlee
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Nasir's dominus has purchased a new slave, captured from the wilds east of the Rhine.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Steorie](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Steorie/gifts), [CanadianSuperhero](https://archiveofourown.org/gifts?recipient=CanadianSuperhero).



> **Warning** : Nasir's relationship with his dominus is a central part of this fic, hence the warning for Non-Con. Please proceed with caution. 
> 
> Thanks to gaygreekgladiator and teardrop 193 for giving a read over this chapter. To Kay and Sarah who have also read bits and pieces. To Stephi, to whom this fic is dedicated, for all her encouragement. To Ray, who also has the fic dedicated to her and who requested the prompt that started it all. Thank you all for your support.

The stench of Neapolis invaded Nasir’s senses in a way that made his stomach turn. Not that he was allowed to, or would ever dream of, showing such in the face of Valerius, his dominus. It was a delicate act of discipline and fear that saw him keep a calm façade when surrounded by the smell of rotting fish, ships, and men. 

Nasir kept a respectable distance from his dominus and the slave-trader who was attempting to sell-up his wares. It was tasks such as these that reminded him he was no longer Nasir, the little Syrian boy sold at auction, but Tiberius, who could speak proper Latin, read and write his letters, and was taught in all matters to be silent, dutiful, and respectful. 

“I seek a man of good health and strength,” Valerius informed the slave-trader.

“I only sell the best, noble Valerius,” the man said. He had a sickeningly sweet smile on his face, terrifying enough to distract away from his lost teeth. 

Nasir did not trust those who smiled so open and freely. It was just such a man who had captured him and Kaveh. It was a smile he saw in nightmares and waking dreams when he was spared a moment of duty to think. Nasir did not welcome those moments, those sudden teasing wisps of memories and life now forcibly taken from him. He did not like to relive the screams of his brother as Nasir was ripped from his arms. He was not allowed the luxury of contemplation and on days such as this; Nasir almost thought it a gift. 

“They captured these barbarians in Gaul territory. They come from east of the Rhine, a stout people good for the duty you require,” the slaver claimed. 

“Hmm,” Valerius said, unimpressed by the men before him. “Do you have any who are more than mere fighting men? I seek a body slave with some skill with our tongue. I do not wish to spend months on his education.”

“You ask for much in a port full of non-Greek slaves. There are a few in my stock who know our words.”

Valerius laughed. “I do not seek long conversations with them; only wish to have commands followed at once.”

Nasir raised his eyes enough to scan the wax tablets hanging around each man’s neck. Some had names along with place of origin. Most stood defiant, staring ahead with barely restrained anger. One, though, stood as if Death itself had ripped all from him. Nasir had seen that face on many such slaves throughout his life; it was the last emotion he recalled crossing his brother’s face as Nasir was ripped from his arms, screeching Kaveh’s name until his captor had smashed his head and he knew only darkness. Nasir still woke some nights with the memory of Kaveh’s eyes reflecting the utter defeat he felt when they parted.

Nasir swallowed and tried not to choke on the bitter taste of his past. His gaze lingered on the one who looked half in this world and half out. Nasir knew Valerius’ taste. That man would be chosen, one who had nothing to live for, one who could be molded into whatever Valerius wished. There were worst fates, but this man, with healing wounds on his body and still present bruises across his taut skin, he was not meant for the perfumed hair and crisp linens of their villa. He was a man of the wild, not of the decorative life required for all of Valerius’ slaves, even his guards. Nasir did not want him there, not when the mere sight of his downturned lips and lowered neck made Nasir’s stomach churn. There were enough complications in Nasir’s life without _this_ unnamed feeling licking at his heels. Nasir tried to will some spirit into the man, force him to show a fire within that Valerius would consider too much trouble to purchase. The gods did not answer Nasir’s prayers.

“Tiberius,” Valerius called, “do we have supplies needed for one so rough?”

They had more than enough extra cloth; the fabric was always of decent quality. Valerius would not be surrounded by the rough or dirty, even among his slaves. The new slave would have to be shaved, hair sheared, body cleaned, ear pierced, and collared. If Valerius was serious about using this man as a bodyguard, he would have to be trained. 

“We do, Dominus,” Nasir said. 

“Send word to the villa to see all prepared. Contact Auctus as well; we require his services for training once again. If the gods are kind, this one shall last longer than the last. He is not too big, so we will not have to worry about containing a brute.” He nodded to the slaver. “Show me his teeth. I will have a medicus check him over for any other rot”

“He is in good health,” the slaver swore. He forced the man’s jaw open, showing a full set of teeth.

Nasir was shocked. That was an uncommon thing among the barbarians. Possibly a son of some wealthy family in his own land. Illness appeared a stranger to his body, though there was evidence of wound above his heart. His face held no life and he kept his eyes to the ground. His tablet read _Agron_ and Nasir mouthed the name and wondered if he correctly guessed at its sound. Chadara was allowed to keep her name, as was Camilla, and Nasir wondered if Agron would keep his own or receive a new one. Valerius cared little; it was his father who required proper Roman names among his slaves. The household had changed much in the past five years for the better, and some ways for the much worse.

Valerius gestured for his purse and Nasir quickly dug it out. 

“Have him cleaned and delivered to my villa tomorrow,” he said. “I will not have such filth stink up my carriage.” 

“We will see it done,” the slaver said as he greedily smiled. He gestured to the table where his secretary sat. “Shall we negotiate price?”

Valerius nodded and followed. Nasir lingered for a moment, studying the unblinking eyes of Agron and wondered if his face would ever show expression. He shook his head at his own foolishness. 

********************

Nasir was sorting the letters when word came that the new slave had been delivered. A good slave was one who predicted his dominus’ actions, and Nasir was at Valerius’ side before he could be called. He poured a cup of wine without being asked and placed it in Valerius’ already waiting hand.

Agron stood before them, barely cleaned, showing signs of fatigue, and as quiet as ever.

“Tiberius, remove that filthy wrap and retrieve water, rag, and clean cloth,” Valerius ordered. He held up a hand. “Wait, no, I will not have the floors so stained. Remove the wrap and retrieve a new one.”

“Yes, Dominus,” Nasir said. He stepped forward and untied the loincloth with little hesitation. He saw Agron’s jaw clench, the first hint of a reaction. 

“Burn it,” Valerius said. 

Agron’s fists clenched this time yet he remained still and silent. 

Nasir nodded as he backed out of the room. He would have it cleaned and cut into strips, just in case it was a cloth from the man’s homeland. Nasir did not recognize the design and he would not see the destruction of another’s tie to home. His eyes caught on ragged pieces of red fabric sewn onto the inside of the cloth. It kept the hem weighed down but did not match any of the threads of the loincloth. A hidden memento possibly. Nasir would wash it with his bedclothes, a task he always did on his own in case the laundry girls were feeling petty.

He still gathered a bowl of water to clean Agron’s neck to prepare for his collar. He retrieved new cloth as well, balancing them carefully in his arms when he was stopped by Chadara standing near the doorway.

“Who is _that_?” Chadara asked glancing into Dominus’ quarters. Her eyes eagerly took in the form of Dominus’ newest acquisition.

“He is the new body slave,” Nasir replied.

Chadara frowned. “He is castrated? What a waste of a man.”

Nasir shook his head at Chadara’s antics. She would ever have a tongue too smart for her own good. “He is not. Dominus sought a bodyguard as well and figured the barbarian’s cost was worth not purchasing another slave.”

Chadara laughed. “Barbarian?”

Nasir nodded. “He comes from the lands east of the Rhine. He is called Agron.”

As if he could hear them, Agron’s eyes switched from the floor to the doorway as Valerius circled around him. Chadara ducked her head, but Nasir held his gaze, wondering just why those green eyes looked so dead. It was not the fury he expected of one newly come to slavery, but a despair that made Nasir’s heart clench.

“Help me,” Nasir said. He placed the cloth and rope ties in Chadara’s arms. “He will need a proper scrub first.”

“He will need a proper everything,” Chadara whispered. 

Nasir shook his head at her before pulling out the new loincloth. He stepped forward into the room and waited to be addressed. 

“Do you hesitate, Tiberius?” Valerius asked as he beckoned him forward.

“I would only see him properly cleaned and prepared before wasting precious clean cloth,” Nasir said as he kept his head bowed. 

He did not flinch when Valerius ran a hand through his loose hair. “Always seeing to my needs better than any other,” he breathed into Nasir’s ear. “Tiberius, you are more worthy to my eyes than any high-class wife.”

“Gratitude, Dominus,” he said. 

Valerius cupped Nasir’s chin and tilted his head up. “See to the barbarian and then come see to me.”

“Yes, Dominus,” he answered. “Is there a name you wish us to give him?”

Valerius glanced at Agron and smirked. “Oh, let him keep his little name. Ours are too civilized for a man such as him. Agron,” he rolled the name off his tongue, “quite fitting.”

Nasir nodded. He gestured for Chadara to follow him and they both retrieved stools to stand on as they rewashed the skin around Agron’s neck. He saw a small twitch under Agron’s skin as the water and their fingers touched him. Chadara had seen it as well and exchanged a pitying glance with him where Valerius could not see. They did not linger over the task. From the line in Chadara’s brow, Nasir knew she remembered her own _ceremony_ upon entering this home. Valerius always did favor a proper show.

Once they were done they stepped back and let their dominus approach. Their collars were a leather binding, a kindness Valerius declared, to replace his father’s iron torcs. Nasir hoped it would fit around Agron’s neck, where the skin was thick even without the man clenching. 

Nasir held his breath as Valerius placed the collar on Agron, expecting the worst. He felt relief flood through him as Agron accepted it without incident. 

Nasir stepped forward to wrap the loincloth around Agron’s groin. He paused when Valerius held up a hand. 

“Tiberius, do not waste clean cloth on unneeded modesty. See him to the bath as is.”

Nasir exchanged an apologetic glance with Agron who remained expressionless. Perhaps it was his own form of defiance. 

“Yes, Dominus,” Nasir said. 

Agron kept from words as Nasir and Chadara guided him to the slave’s bathing pools. Nasir was starting to worry for the lack of any verbal reaction from him. He did not know why he desired words from the man, only that he did. He felt it best to ignore the insidious little whispers in the back of mind which informed him exactly _why_ he cared so much. 

Free and wealthy Romans favored oil for their ablutions, but Nasir could tell Agron would require the harsh soap often left for linens. The slave-traders had done their best yet they had little knowledge of making a body slave clean enough to be respectable in a villa such as this one. Every part of Agron would need to be washed. There was grime embedded under his fingernails and Nasir could see Chadara’s grimace when she glanced at Agron’s feet. Valerius required all his house-slaves to be clean, to smell fresh, and to be decorative and presentable. It was a way to show his influence and wealth; a tactic passed down from his father. 

“A warning,” Nasir told Agron, “we will have to be thorough.”

“He means to say you can either aid us or hinder us, yet we will succeed,” Chadara clarified. She winked at Nasir. “For the sake of possible injury, I suggest you choose aid.”

Agron grunted before a tongue skittered out to wet cracked lips. He hesitated as if he had to carefully consider his answer and each word. His voice was rough when he spoke. “Ask what you require.”

Nasir refused to rationalize the need he felt to reassure this stranger with words he knew would prove false. He did not know Agron’s history and what caused the sadness in his eyes. He was a man only half-alive in a completely different way than most adults newly brought to slavery. 

“We will tell you what we must do as we wash,” Nasir said. He laid a gentle hand on Agron’s shoulder and his palm rested right above a nasty scar near his heart. “Sit, please. Chadara will begin washing your hands with a brush. It is made of horse hair and will sting after some time, but we must get the dirt out.” 

Agron nodded as he complied. 

“I will be above you on the outside, at your back if that is allowed. We must cut your hair. Dominus doses not like any to look so unkempt.”

Agron hesitated with his answer again. “I do not trust strangers at my back,” he said. 

“We will tell you stories,” Chadara said. “I find merry voices help to distract from the pain of a thorough wash.”

“Gratitude,” Agron said before he bowed his head and returned to silence. 

Nasir tightened his hold on Agron’s shoulder for a brief moment, before exiting the pool. If he thought his actions gone unnoticed, he was wrong. The mischievous twist of Chadara’s lips was revelation in itself. 

Nasir ignored that all now as he kneeled behind Agron. There were daggers and bronze razors laid out for use. Nasir picked the dagger up first and carefully gripped a section of hair as he begun to cut the matted sections. Agron remained, head bowed and silent, even as Chadara started to tell the story of Echo and Narcissus. 

***********************

The next dawn saw Nasir and one of their other bodyguards, Nonus, to the city to deliver invitation. Valerius would only have his guards trained by the best, and luckily, the best had finally returned to the city limits. 

Auctus was once a gladiator of renown, freed after a defeat in the arena. Nasir had witnessed he skills once, as a young boy who trailed after Valerius at the time like a favored pet. Nasir never knew much of the games, but even then he could recognize the rare skill and grace that came from Auctus. Valerius had ranted for _days_ when he was freed. Rumor had it the Batiatus the Elder had sought to keep Auctus within his ludus walls while Batiatus the Younger wanted to make space for his new men. Auctus was one of the old guard and freed as one last act of kindness. He’d worked with Valerius as a trainer for his guards when not off fighting some war or sailing the seas. Nasir did not know what kept the man tied to Rome when his home was in Greece, but Auctus held all his secrets close. 

“He seeks to replace me,” Nonus said as they walked towards the inn where Auctus stayed. 

Nasir looked up at the giant-like height and large, muscled limbs of Nonus. Men like Nonus were purchased just for their appearance; few bothered to taunt a man with fists as large as their heads.

“He does not, my friend,” Nasir promised. “You are as strong as a bull and in no need of replacement. It is a status thing, a bragging right, a sign of importance. Important men, those worthy of dining with the highest senators of Rome, have wealth and power. They can afford many slaves, keep them well-clothed and adorned. They must also have enemies to be truly influential, which would require more than one bodyguard, of course. One bodyguard, any wealthy man can have, but _two_ trained by a former successful gladiator? Now, that is a man of some influence.”

Nonus grinned. “You have a great mind, Tiberius.”

Nasir smirked in response. “I was taught well by those before me. Auctus took you, a military man, and gave you instruction on how to fight like a gladiator. He will take Agron, surely well-versed in his barbarian fighting style, and make him more like you. Together you shall be the envy of all this side of Rome.”

Nonus laughed at the flattery as he entered the inn and took note of the perimeter. Nasir waited until he was permitted to enter. He passed by the proprietor knowing well Auctus always favored the room at the top with windows facing to the east. He fell back and let Nonus knock on the door and wait for their entry.

“You were foolish on the road,” Auctus said by way of greeting. “Both too busy talking to see any danger. I taught you better, Nonus.”

“Apologies,” Nonus said, dropping his head in respect. 

Nasir’s eyes were drawn to young man curled up in the corner, just visible past Auctus’ frame. The stranger was tall and thin, dark, lithe legs peeking out from a cloak too large from his own long frame. He looked sickly.

“Apologies,” Nasir said. “I did not think you had a guest.”

Auctus shook his head. “Tiberius, you see all. This is a good quality. You speak it as well, which is not. Such curiosity could come at the cost of your life with men of lesser honor. Come inside.”

The young man flinched as they entered and Nasir felt his mask break. He knew what it was like to be that terrified soul, removed from everything he knew. Not new to slavery, the downcast eyes were enough testimony to that, but new to _this_ life and the freedoms which came with it.

“This is Pietros,” Auctus said. “He will be with me for some time.”

“Greetings Pietros,” Nasir said. His words received no response.

“Weed of a boy,” Nonus said. “Not your type, Auctus.”

Auctus’ smile was grim. “He is not here for that, Nonus. He was dear to an old friend. I assume you aren’t here to trade pleasantries?”

Nasir nodded in agreement. “Our dominus requests your skills again. He would have you return with us this morn, if it pleases you.”

Auctus gaze fell to Pietros. “Will you feel safe on your own?”

Pietros finally looked up from the ground. “I would prefer to stay here,” he said. 

Auctus nodded. “I will return shortly. Lock the door after us. Let no one enter unless it is me. I will knock in the code we practiced.”

Pietros nodded before turning his gaze back to the floor. He wrapped the cloak tighter around his body. 

“Do not ask me yet of his tale,” Auctus said after he shut the door. “Let us see your dominus.”

*************************

Auctus paced the chamber like a caged lion. He was not a man who liked to be kept waiting; a complaint Nasir was familiar with for all the times he had to bring him to this villa. His concerns were of little note to a man like Valerius. Auctus might’ve been free now, but he was a free former gladiator, born a Greek, who had a rumored history as a pirate and mercenary. Respect was not a thing given to a man like Auctus anywhere, except in a fight. 

“It’s not often that shit keeps even _you_ waiting,” Auctus said, eyes lingering over a bruise on Nasir’s bare shoulder. “He does seem to have a taste for you.”

Nasir did not give him the satisfaction of flinching or trying to cover the obvious bite mark. He knew this was a game Auctus liked to play; little cuts to bleed a person out. Nasir was his favorite partner only because he could last so long.

“Dominus only wishes to ensure our newest acquisition is up to his exacting standards. It may take a moment. Please feel free to sit.”

Auctus shook his head as he ceased the battle for now. He walked over to the platter and picked out a handful of olives while he studied the mosaics on the floor.

“So much wealth on display inside this home yet outside is dust and death in the fields,” he murmured. 

“As it is for all villas so far removed from city walls,” Valerius declared as he entered the room with Chadara at his side. Nonus and Agron trailed behind them. “So glad you could join us, Greek.”

Auctus finished his olives before answering. “The coin was persuasive, as always.”

“Yes,” Valerius said, “I’ve heard you’re in need of it. Purchased a slave from Capua rumor has it.”

Auctus’ smile was a faint, dangerous thing and Nasir truly prayed to the gods Nonus was at the ready to attack.

“My last trip to sea was quite successful. Upon my return I received some _news_ about old friends. I purchased the boy as a favor. He is unused to life outside a ludus. If I am to come here and live in the rooms like the last time, I will require a place for him as well. Perhaps he can receive some tutoring from your own stock. I would willingly negotiate it in terms of my normal price.”

Valerius laughed. “Business before wine, Auctus, you truly are a new man. Study my recent purchase first before you decide if he is worthy of taking on. If he’s nothing more than piss and shit, I’d rather not waste the coin and cut my losses by sending him to the mines.” Valerius’ eyes lingered over the downturned pout of Agron’s lips. “Or perhaps just the fields.”

“Tiberius says he is a German,” Auctus said as he gestured for Nonus to bring Agron forward. “They’ve got fierce tempers even if they are untrained barbarians; you only have to learn to harness their passion to your will.”

Valerius smirked. “This one is docile,” he said.

Nasir swallowed and kept his head bowed. Even _he_ knew that wasn’t true. Agron was defeated by something, but it was clear, in the clenched jaws and fists, that a beast was waiting to strike. Auctus had to see it as well and the next words out of his mouth could mean death for Agron. Nasir dared to quickly glance up and Auctus caught his eyes. There was no nod, no acknowledgement of their locked gazes, but Nasir knew it was enough. Auctus was once a slave; he understood the power in his hands at that moment.

Auctus reached out a hand to touch Agron’s arms. The touch was removed from emotions, all professional courtesy as he checked skin and muscles, circling around to check the back, the legs, before returning to Agron’s front and gesturing for him to open his mouth. He murmured something low in a tongue Nasir had never heard and Agron lifted his head in surprise and answered. 

“He only wants you to think him docile,” Auctus said with eyes trained on Agron’s face. “His injury is one of the heart, easily remedied with time and used to our advantage.” He stepped back and held his hand out to Valerius. “I am willing to pursue our business again if it pleases you.”

Valerius waited a moment to take Auctus’ hand, never able to appear too eager. “Let us hope your success matches what you’ve done with Nonus.”

Auctus met Nasir’s eyes again over Valerius’ shoulder. “Oh, I am certain your German is going to exceed expectations.”

**********************

Nasir was eager to seek his own bed by the end of the day. The past two had been more eventful than their normal schedule and all in the household were eager to resume life as they knew it. There would be some excitement with Auctus present again, and now with his slave or servant as well. Chadara, Camilla, and Drusa were already gossiping about who the slave could be, what he looked like, if he held a form such as Auctus. It was not often those who had lived in a ludus passed through these halls. Nasir did not seek to inform him of what he already knew. Pietros, whatever his story was, deserved discretion. 

Nasir just had to make his final rounds before finding his own bed. Since Auctus had agreed to take on the challenge of training Agron, he had been moved to the guests’ slave quarters, near the kitchens, and far from Nasir’s own. That would change once he earned his place and position. For now, Nasir did not want to see the man fall to something as simple as a chill.

Agron eyed the room with suspicion. It was his second room in as many nights and Nasir could not find fault in the dark expression on his face. Nasir had expected as much; it wasn’t uncommon for those new to slavery to mistrust everything presented to them, especially when being subjected to inspection after inspection for the past two weeks, at the least.

“Dominus requests you,” Chadara called from the hall. 

Of course he did. Valerius had little care for the running of his household and demanded every one follow his whims, as was his right. Nasir would not see his own bed until the dawn. 

“I know your pride wants to refuse the linens and sleep on the cold floor, but there is no reason.” Nasir held out an old, worn blanket to Agron. “This is one of my own, purchased with my own coin.” 

Agron did not move. Nasir placed it at his feet. “If you decide to use it in the night, I swear not to mock you for it come the dawn.” He did not know what words Agron’s people used to wish a good night’s sleep. “I hope your gods grace you with peaceful dreams.”

Chadara bowed her head as Nasir passed. He approached the bathing chamber slowly and exchanged a sad smile with her once they reached the threshold. 

“Watch over him,” he said.

She nodded and left him there, fingers trailing down his arm in support. Nasir took a deep breath and pulled on the face of Tiberius. 

“Leave us,” Valerius ordered to his attendants once Nasir entered. He waited for them to exit before beckoning Nasir forward. “How fares our newest toy?”

Nasir would hiss at such a statement, but Tiberius laughed at his dominus’ implication. Nasir stripped his clothes without being ordered to and stepped into the water. He took up one of the sponges and started to form his answer. 

“He is adjusting, Dominus.”

“We are alone,” Valerius reminded him.

“Yes, Valerius,” Nasir said.

“Will he be loyal?” Valerius asked as he leaned into Nasir’s hands. “Speak freely.”

“Yes, Valerius,” Nasir intoned. “I think there is an inherent danger to a man who has nothing to live for, yet perhaps he can find something within these walls.”

“Hmm,” Valerius said. There was a spark in his eyes Nasir had grown to hate over the years. He tangled a jeweled hand in Nasir’s hair, rings which bore the seals of his power shining in the low candle light. “Perhaps _you_ can provide him some motivation for committing himself to training. He has quite a form already, Tiberius; just imagine him guided under a professional hand.”

Nasir easily could and it was quite an effort to keep the heat from rising to his face. “He will be a sight to behold,” he agreed. 

“Yes,” Valerius breathed as he ran his hands down Nasir’s body, “I think we shall have to entice him into this life. Tomorrow though,” he growled before his mouth latched on the bare skin of Nasir’s shoulders. “Tonight you remain at my side.”

“Yes, Valerius,” Nasir said, eyes trained to the stone walls of the bathing chamber.


	2. Two

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please remember to heed the warnings tagged on this fic. They will carry throughout the story.

It was an hour before dawn when Nasir was finally able to slip from Valerius’ bed chambers. He was always expected to stay the night, and yet still see the household full and running before Valerius awoke. They once had Lucia, the true chief of the household slaves, to do such things. She was one of the many let go when Valerius took place as pater familias. Since the transition five years ago, Nasir had been thrown into adulthood and expected to swim with perfect precision. Mistakes were not allowed or even forgivable in his position. Even among the slaves, there were those who would seek his downfall in a single moment if it meant their advance. He once believed Chadara counted among such, and while she craved power, she did not desire the full weight of Nasir’s responsibilities. 

None of them would, if they truly understood. No slave was supposed to have as many tasks as Nasir took on; there was not a need in such a wealthy household to make Nasir personal attendant, head of household, and secretary. It was all Valerius’ desire to keep him close. Nasir had been a gift upon Valerius’ entry into young adulthood, his own personal slave to train from youth and keep at his side until death. Valerius had his own interesting interpretation of what that meant over the years. Nasir knew he was considered and respected as a loyal confidant and at times, even friend. Well, _Tiberius_ was considered such; _Nasir_ had never held interest or concern for Valerius. 

Nasir walked the length of the house before turning down the hall toward Agron’s room. He only wanted to make sure the man had slept. He hesitated at the threshold. Agron was already awake, Nasir’s blanket clumsily folded and resting atop the bed. His back was to the doorway with his head tilted up towards the small window carved into the walls. 

“Did you find any rest?” Nasir asked.

Agron turned from the window and nodded. “The blanket, it was appreciated.” His study of the still dark sky resumed. “Do mornings start so late here?”

Nasir scoffed. “It is not yet dawn.”

“We always woke before the sun,” Agron murmured. “Had to see the livestock to graze.”

Nasir wondered at the _we_ even as he felt privileged to hear such words. It was the most Agron had spoken to him personally, without direct questioning, in the past three days. 

“Come,” Nasir ordered, “I will see you to morning meal. Auctus should arrive right after dawn and so will begin your day’s training.”

“I find your kindness a threat,” Agron said. He slowly turned around, a hint of violence in the very precision of his movement. “Why would some lap dog of a Roman shit care whether I live or die?”

Nasir tried to excuse the insult since he knew it was done just to provoke him. He was a master of restraint and curbing his impulses after all this time, though he was not above petty words of his own. 

“He does not care about _you_. His concern comes in knowing the initial success or failure of your adjustment falls on the weight of his shoulders and that of beloved friends. If you wish to see even more deaths caused by your own actions, by all means, continue with this silent sabotage plan of yours.” Nasir’s eyes dropped to the wound on Agron’s chest. “That _is_ how that came about, yes? Defending another’s life? Or did they risk their own for yours, one you would now so easily throw away?”

“Shut fucking mouth,” Agron hissed as he moved fast to tower over Nasir. “You know not of watch you speak you little—”

Nasir reached a hand up and tugged hard on Agron’s collar. The man’s eyes widened at the strength of Nasir’s hold. He leaned in close to Agron, matching the repetition of his breath as he spoke low. “One small sound from my mouth and this room will be flooded with guards in moments. You will be dead on the floor, nothing but a stain as memory that will be washed away before night's end. You have a choice, to either die now in this room, forever forgotten except as failure or to embrace the path the Fates have set you on.”

“You expect me to embrace fucking slavery?”

“I expect you to embrace the chance to realize that you could see freedom. Valerius sells the troublesome slaves to the mines or other bidders. The loyal ones he rewards, often with freedom followed by patronage if they have services he sees fit to keep.”

“Is that why you so easily heel?”

“ _I_ have no choice. I will die with him, possibly by his own hand. I would not see others squander such a gift.”

Something in his words or tone must’ve found meaning for the cold look in Agron’s eyes thawed.

“How long have you been a slave?” Agron asked.

“I do not know my day or year of birth,” Nasir said, “only that I was a child when I came to Roman shores.”

“And were you always named Tiberius? That is what the others call you.”

“Tiberius came with the collar,” Nasir said. “Do not worry for your own name. Dominus states you may keep Agron. I think he finds pleasure in feeling it on his tongue.”

He let Agron go and stood back. He took it as a sign of trust that Agron did not move to slam him into the wall or place hands around his throat. “I am glad you have rediscovered your own voice. It will make your training with Auctus quite entertaining. Come; let us see you fed.”

********************************

Nasir kept a slow and steady pace as he guided Agron and the tray he carried towards Valerius’ rooms. He would not be surprised if Agron dropped the tray out of spite after this morning, but perhaps the gods bestowed favor upon him. Auctus had sent message; he would not arrive until mid-morning and so Nasir sought to keep Agron occupied. 

“He cannot fetch his own food?” Agron questioned.

“It is not his place to do so,” Nasir said. “That is why he owns slaves.”

Agron grumbled, words low in his own tongue, but kept to task. It was still dark inside Valerius’ rooms when they entered. Nasir reached a hand out, grasping Agron’s elbow to guide him. The skin was warm under his hand, though still rough from lack of proper care. It was a texture Nasir wasn’t used to in this house where all were meant to appear as soft as possible. Nonus and a scatted few of the guards where chose to be obviously threatening. The rest of them were taught to smile and entice while hiding their true intentions. 

Valerius was the kind of cunning Romans appreciated, and yet always underestimated. The slaves on the farm were trained for their tasks, but those in the house kept close to his side? He purposefully staffed them with wolves dressed as sheep. Nasir had some skill with the daggers. Chadara had quick fingers and a gift for distraction. Camilla had knowledge of how to disguise the taste of poisons. They were chosen for their roles with deliberation even Nonus, and now Agron. Valerius had plans to move for more power, a meeting today in the city would see to it, and Nasir knew from the letters he’d gathered from a morning messenger that Auctus would be offered a permanent place under this roof if he succeeded in molding Agron into the perfect assassin. 

“Must we linger?” Agron asked as he set the tray down.

Nasir let go of his elbow before he stepped to the side to pull back the curtains blocking the morning light. “All your time will now be spent at Dominus’ side, following his will. You will either remember patience or have it forcibly taught.”

Nasir let himself have a moment to stare out at the open sky just past the villa walls before fortifying himself for what came next. He pulled the tie from his hair and wrapped it around his wrist, just tight enough to throb, to make him remember, before softly padding over to the bed. The gentle fingers of Tiberius caressed the side of Valerius’ face while the stomach of Nasir wondered at the green eyes boring into his back. What intent lay there? Would Agron attempt to take his life now, along with Valerius’, while so distracted? There was a fruit knife on the tray. He left it there as a test.

Nasir did not know if he considered it passing or failing when Agron did not move to take it. 

“Tiberius,” Valerius groaned as a hand clenched in the strands of Nasir’s hair. “The gods truly favor me to see such a morning’s start.” His teeth bit into Nasir’s lips before forcing his chin away. “I wish we could linger, but business calls me south.”

“Yes, Dominus,” Nasir said. In the face of Valerius’ confusion he slid away to reveal Agron standing behind him.

“Do you like what you see, barbarian?” Valerius asked as his fingers trailed down Nasir’s chest. “My Tiberius is beautiful, is he not?” Nasir kept his body still as fingers pawed and pulled. “Speak freely,” Valerius ordered.

There was something dark that lurked in the depths of Agron’s eyes. It wasn’t desire, nor was it pity. Nasir hoped it was understanding of a sort. Their lives would be so much easier if Agron could just fall in line. 

“Well?” Valerius asked as his fingers dipped below the belt of Nasir’s breeches and pulled tight on the hair there. 

Nasir let his face flinch, knowing Valerius’ gaze was kept on Agron and not Nasir’s own. 

“He is of a form,” Agron said. “If you like such delicate things.”

Nasir’s knew his own defiance cracked Tiberius’ mask for just a moment. If Agron thought him _delicate_ , he was in for quite a surprise come Auctus' arrival. That thought was enough to bring its own joy.

“Oh, I have found most fall under the charm of such pretty eyes,” Valerius said. He let Nasir go with a playful shove. “Unfortunately not the pig of a man I speak with this day. Have Camilla bathed and perfumed. Titus favors the dark-haired girls; she will be of best use to us this afternoon.”

“Yes, Dominus,” Nasir said as he prepared a plate of fruit. “Who do you wish to stay in the house to greet Auctus?” he asked. 

Valerius took the plate and leaned back into his pillows as he thought. Nasir slid back until he was level with Agron. He was surprised to feel a comforting hand slip across his back. He raised his head for just a moment as Valerius sorted through his plate, but it was enough to see Agron’s small nod of understanding. 

It removed a large deal of the weight from Nasir’s shoulders to see it. 

Valerius sighed. “I suppose I must take Nonus with me, which means I _have_ to leave you here. None of rest of those foolish slaves would dare to fall out of line if you’re still present.” He grinned at Nasir. “You are my dearest gift, Tiberius.”

“Gratitude, Dominus,” Nasir replied. “I will see the home well-kept in your absence.”

“Of that I have little doubt,” Valerius agreed. He gestured to Agron. “Take that one to the training ground. Wake Decimus to unlock the hold.” He snapped his fingers. “Before you start, see to his ear. I would have him properly marked as one of mine.”

Agron would receive an earring as was required for all male slaves working inside the house. It was a sign that Valerius was already willing to keep Agron past his standard trial period.

“What style do you favor, Dominus?”

“Small hoop for now. Let’s not tempt Auctus to rip it out when so newly placed.”

Nasir nodded and backed out of the room, Agron following without command. Drusa and Cassia entered to dress and style Valerius for the day. It was one task that was removed from Nasir’s hands when the household was placed into them. 

“Now do you understand?” Nasir asked once the hallway was cleared.

Agron nodded. “I do not agree with it.”

“I do not ask you to. Do not make it worse for the rest of us while you learn your own ways of coping.”

“And how do you?” Agron asked. 

“I am thankful for position, roof over my head, and food in my belly. I still remember who I once was; I think we are all allowed that to keep us warm when more than cold chills us at night.”

Agron did not appear agree, yet something stilled any further argument. 

************************

There was much noise echoing through the stone walls as the slaves felt free to speak, sing, and be more open in the wake of Valerius’ absence. They would still finish the work assigned, but with Auctus’ arrival, accompanied with a slave of his own, soon to pass, Nasir would not scold any for a moment of gossip.

He would, however, slam Agron’s face into the stone if he did not stop flinching away.

“I have seen your kind in Neapolis,” Nasir said. “I know it is not an offense to bear such a mark.”

Chadara laughed behind them. “Oh, I think the big, strong barbarian just fears a little prick.”

Nasir could not allow himself to laugh when the insult was enough to still Agron. Nasir easily pierced the ear and had the loop threaded through. He used a small bit of vinegar to wash away the blood before standing back to admire his work. With the shorn hair, shaved face, collar and earring, Agron finally looked like one of them. The eyes, though, they remained the defiant gaze of a free man. He held Agron’s hand down when he moved to touch his ear.

“A week, at least, before you go about trying to rip it out,” Nasir said.

“It is not that,” Agron growled as he pulled his hand back from Nasir’s hold. “We wore such adornments once.”

There was that _we_ again. Nasir did not think it a mistranslation. Agron truly was speaking of another person; one dear to him, Nasir guessed, with the sudden darkening of his brow.

“It suits you,” Chadara said.

Agron shook his head as he stood. “Your attentions are wasted.”

Chadara winked at Nasir. “German, my _attentions_ were never sent your way. It was clear where they fell since you first set eyes on this _house_. I do hope this Pietros is the delightful sort. I tire of the sour faces who come from the north.”

“Temperament to match their weather,” Nasir guessed. It felt good to allow himself this moment, even as he recalled the lost look on Pietros’ face. “Pietros may not take so well to your words though. he looks as if he’s survived some wound.”

Chadara scoffed. “He travels with a man of cursed Thebes. What else should I expect?”

Agron looked so lost at their words and Nasir couldn’t stand to see such a look on that face. It made him look younger, vulnerable even, the peeks into the cracks of Agron’s own mask. Nasir was not ready to examine his own thoughts on such a matter. It was better, to keep this sort of distance between them. Still, the man deserved to know, so he could have _something_ over Auctus.

“In the tales of Greece, Auctus’ homeland, there is a city known as Thebes. It is the place of many unfortunate tales. Auctus has a few of his own to add to its legacy,” Nasir said.

“Such as?” Agron asked as he fussed with his belt. He seemed uncomfortable in the soft fabric wrapped around his legs and kept making a displeased face.

“I have seen pigs with more grace,” Chadara said. She stepped forward and slapped Agron’s hands away as she pulled the fabric tight enough and redid his belt. “Honestly do they not wear clothes in your land?”

Agron glanced up at Nasir. “No,” he said with complete seriousness. 

Nasir laughed at Agron’s shock when Chadara failed to react. Chances were she’d seen more cocks in her life than Agron could ever imagine. It took more than that to make Chadara flinch, even more to blush. She backed away and made an unhappy sound under her breath as she tugged on the folds. “We must ask for some better fabric. This is too small for his frame. He will rip it before the day is done and then he’ll be marching about in a loincloth.”

“And we cannot have that,” Nasir teased. “Such a sight may very well frighten the mice.”

“Mice?” Agron spat.

Chadara patted his face. “Mice. That’s all you’re good for terrifying before you’ve been taught. Remember in this house, even the little kitchen slaves know how to poison you.”

“Where the fuck have your gods brought me?” Argon asked.

A flurry of activity in the main hall interrupted Nasir’s answer. The loud shouts of protesting voices were enough to tell him that Auctus had arrived without waiting for proper greeting.

“It is too bad a lanista did not snatch you up first,” Nasir said. He tucked a lose thread from Agron’s breeches into the folds. “You may have fared better with the gladiators than a villa full of life-long house slaves.”

“So I have come to realize,” Agron grumbled. 

Auctus entered with his typical saunter and presence. For a man who had spent years with the worst of society, he had the attitude of any powerful senator. Auctus did not need a handful of rings and ornate clothes to show off the wealth he’d amassed or demand attention. It was simply there with each of his movements.

Pietros huddled behind him. The boy, more Nasir’s age and yet he seemed so much younger, was much taller than Nasir first assumed. He stood as tall as Auctus and Agron, though his frame was far more slender. The cloak must have belonged to a giant. Its ends trailed on the ground even with Pietros’ considerable height. He still looked ill, though well fed enough. 

“I will get bread for the boy,” Chadara said as she slipped past. 

Auctus nodded with approval. “He could use it. The house he came from was not so favorable in his rations.”

“To be expected,” Pietros said in his soft, low voice, “of a fucking house that was Tartarus in Capua.”

Auctus eyes darkened and his head bowed as if in pain. When he raised it again, his eyes were clouded with a deep hurt. “Nasir, if you could show Pietros to our assigned quarters. He should rest.”

“I have had enough fucking resting,” Pietros said. “No amount of sleep or bread or wine will bring Barca back or change what was done to us.”

“And neither will your death,” Agron said.

All turned their heads to him in surprise, Nasir most of all. He did not expect this, compassion, from the man who just this morning called Nasir’s own kindness a threat. 

“Your death will not bring back the one so gone; even if you wish it with each breath; even if you seek it with each action. I do not know your afterlife from mine, but when I see my—” he stopped as he whole body shuddered. “—when I see my brother again, I want to be able to greet him with the tales of a full life; however I had to live it, no matter the circumstances where I found it.”

Auctus took off his cloak and held it out to Nasir. “He’s going to be trouble, you know this, yes?”

Nasir nodded. “Make him worth it.” He gestured to Pietros. “Come; if it is not rest you seek we will find something to pull idle mind from dark thoughts.” He turned back to Auctus and Agron. “Decimus will be your shadow. Do not kill each other or him, or I shall be very cross.”

Auctus grinned. “So soon and the German keeps his tongue. Has he already met your bite?”

Auctus referred to Nasir and his daggers, not his tongue. Either way the answer remained the same. Nasir let his eyes linger over Agron with a deliberation he made certain Agron noticed. He turned to Auctus and refused to fight the smile that pulled at his lips.

“I suppose you can say he had a tease of a first taste.”


	3. Three

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> this chapter was beta read by the lovely gaygreekgladiator. All remaining mistakes are mine.

Agron’s temperament was not so weak or restrained when met with the taunting words and slaps of Auctus. Auctus had a method for starting out his new recruits; leg work first, then fists, eventually followed by weapons. The house-slaves Nasir knew of never argued with this course of action; the former soldiers and warriors were always a different sort. Agron was particularly entertaining as he yelled out words and phrases Nasir had never heard before. 

“Should we intervene?” Chadara asked as Auctus flipped Agron over his shoulder and to the ground.

Nasir shook his head. “I do not think it would be wise.”

Agron quickly rose to his feet even as blood started to flow from small cuts around his knees. He charged after Auctus again. Auctus looked bored. He laughed and stepped to the side, grabbing Agron around the waist and tumbling him to the earth.

“You must learn how to fight,” Auctus said when Agron resumed his footing. 

“I know how to fight,” Agron yelled when he fell to the sands again. It was the third time that day Auctus had swept his feet out from under him. 

“You know how to brawl,” Auctus corrected. He held a hand out to Agron and pulled him up. “I teach you how to fight without having your vision impaired by a black eye, or losing sight of your target because you are distracted by a broken nose or rib. I have fought with all; trust me, you do not desire to do the same.”

Agron stained the ground with a mixture of spittle and blood before he attempted to take Auctus down again. “And what would a man so chained to Roman shits know about true fighting?” he asked as he slammed Auctus into one of the columns.

Auctus easily shoved him off and back to the dirt. He looked up at Nasir. “You did not give the pup my background?”

“Your arrival stopped any details from slipping past tongue,” Nasir admitted.

“Or you withheld for your own purpose,” Auctus said. “Do you desire to hold something over the German’s head?”

Nasir almost laughed at the suspicious frown on Agron’s face. “Is my position and power not enough?” he asked.

Agron scoffed. “A power that comes with collar attached.”

“Still more power than you,” Nasir said. He turned his attention back to Auctus. “It was time that stayed my tongue, and the respect that each man deserves to tell his own tale.”

Auctus slowly smiled; the barest hint of teeth and taunt combined to make Nasir wary. He knew it was dangerous to drag him into the middle of this game, one Agron wasn’t even aware they were all playing. Still Auctus, his presence, and his innuendos, would be a good gauge for Agron’s reactions. Nasir would follow Valerius’ orders regardless; if Nasir and Valerius could not garner house loyalty, he would seek to keep Agron tied here via personal relationships. Nasir still had yet to decide if it would be Tiberius that sought such a relationship with Agron or if the risk was worth it to reveal his own truth. It had been Nasir’s plan from the start to watch and decide if Tiberius was to risk his body for the greater good, or Nasir was to gamble with his heart. They were already two weeks into the six month warranty of all new slaves and he remained undecided. Choice needed to be made within the week if this was to see success.

“Our Tiberius is the only one who knows his own mind,” Auctus said. “A fearsome thing to be certain, what such a seemingly innocent and obedient slave can conjure up in the secret recesses of his soul.” He pulled Agron up again. “I would be on alert if I were you, barbarian. Much planning swirls within those dark eyes.”

Nasir did not bother to deny it. Perhaps it would aid his cause, to let Agron see a hint of the intrigue that awaited him if he truly embraced this house.

 

***********************

 

Valerius’ mood had been sour since he returned from his meeting in the city, and it remained so over the next three days. Nasir tried to ignore the uncomfortable throb in his lower back from feeling the brunt of that frustration during the nights, but it was hard when each turn sent a jolt of pain through his body. He wasn’t allowed to show it, even in the face of the other slaves. It was fortunate Nasir knew every hidden alcove in the villa to allow himself a moment to breathe through the pain. 

Auctus knew, of course; it was difficult to hide the strains of a body from a man trained to recognize them. He had requested training time for Nasir; a request Valerius had to honor. It mostly consisted of Auctus forcing Nasir to try and stretch sore muscles and tendons. It was a temporary solution to what could become a dangerous problem. 

“If you make one taunt about me feeling my age,” Nasir grumbled as Auctus’ hands pressed low on his back, “I will poison your dinner.”

“You are still young, Tiberius,” Auctus said.

“Old for my position,” Nasir said, “at least for the one in his bed.”

“We both know it has never been your age,” Auctus said. “You have made yourself invaluable and for Valerius; you’ve truly made this villa a sanctuary.”

Auctus was one of the few who intimately understood the delicate balance of Nasir’s position. It was different for slaves like Chadara, Camilla, or even Nonus. Those were the ones expected to follow Valerius from his home in Rome, to the countryside, and back. Nasir, rather Tiberius, should’ve been dismissed once he first grew a beard. If not from the house, than Valerius’ bed at the very least. No self-respecting Roman man would be seen with a pretty-faced non-castrated young male at his side, as opposed to a boy. It was why Nasir was essentially banished from Rome and sent here. Valerius would _have_ to return to Rome soon and, even without being told as much, Nasir was certain the ultimatum to appear or sacrifice political position had finally been handed down.

“I would rather not discuss it,” Nasir admitted. He would either be smuggled back to Rome in disguise like the last time or, with Auctus present, left to oversee the house and deal with the consequences of Valerius’ anticipation of a long parting.

“Then we shall not discuss it,” Auctus said. He motioned for Nasir to stand. “I would have words about the other dangerous game you play, the one with the barbarian. It is not like you to take so long to carry out a seduction.”

Nasir studied the dirt under his fingernails. “I know not of what you speak.”

Auctus scoffed. “I have seen you seduce aediles, magistrates, and praetors under Valerius’ commands. You even attempted such with _me_ at our first introduction.”

Nasir laughed. “And you told me then that you preferred men to little boys. Odd for a Greek, though I suppose it explains Pietros.” 

Auctus attempted to shove Nasir, but Nasir caught his hand before he could. Auctus gave him the approving nod of a pleased teacher. “Pietros is older than you and is here for his own protection. If left in that ludus he would’ve been greeting Charon, absent coin, be it by his own hand or one dwelling under the ludus roof. We do not speak of _my_ desires, but of yours. You have never so hesitated. I am proud to see you finally consider wanting something for yourself, for once.”

“I act on my dominus’ commands,” Nasir said.

Auctus shook his head. “You wait to act on your own command. If it was nothing but body meeting body, you would’ve already seen it done. This, what you’ve started now, you’ve never known before. Fear can stall any man, especially in matters of the heart.”

“It is not that,” Nasir insisted. “I do not wish to cause unrest if the desire is not mutual.”

“His eyes follow you everywhere,” Auctus said. He gripped Nasir’s shoulder, a daring thing, to touch another man’s slave in open daylight. Auctus was allowed only under these circumstances. “I have loved and lost many in my time, heartbreak always at the end. I have never regretted the joy that came in those moments, even if it was not to last. Happiness is a fleeting thing rarely known to the life of a slave, Tiberius. If you have any chance for it, however slight, do not wait to act.”

“Am I not always to observe and carefully consider my options before action?”

“Not in this,” Auctus said. 

***********************

“He’s grown insufferable,” Chadara hissed as they fetched a tray of food from the kitchens. 

Valerius had decided to take his midday meal while watching Auctus train Agron. It was uncomfortable having him present; everyone stilled their tongues as they watched. Valerius had one more week until his required return to Rome and was resorting to the bratty days of his youth. There was a dinner party this very evening; Nasir and Chadara both should’ve been overseeing the food and place settings. Instead they were forced to cater to every one of Valerius’ whims, far more often than a usual day, while lesser slaves caused disaster in the dining room. 

Their last order was to not only retrieve food and wine, but to reapply perfume to their hair for they _stank of lesser beings_. 

“I do not disagree,” Nasir said as they paused at one of the hidden washing basins. “He has not acted so foolish since his father fell ill.”

Nasir had spent his years becoming Tiberius observing the life and manners of other villas, townhomes, slaves, and their masters. He knew Valerius was cruel in ways that didn’t leave physical marks, but that he could be even worse. He was a smart man who resorted to control via fear only when he felt it required. He rarely acted like the spoiled, pouting brat he’d become over the past two weeks. Even Nasir was starting to lose his reserves of patience as Tiberius.

Chadara helped dab the perfume through Nasir’s hair. “I must say though, you are doing well for one so thrown from his normal routine,” she praised.

“It is not the first time guests have stayed for an extended period.”

She laughed and ruffled his hair. “That was not my concern. Your eyes linger on Agron at all times.”

“Chadara,” he warned. He glared at her from the lose strands that now covered his eyes.

She kissed his cheek. “Agron’s eyes linger on you as well. Did Valerius not encourage you to pursue him?”

“I would wish to know more of the man first,” he said as he tied his hair back.

“You should seek your chance tonight,” Chadara said. “Gaius visits and you know Valerius must always reaffirm his virility in front of the prize that is Varinia. Rumor has it she is with child again.”

Gaius had turned his wife into a breeding farm. His line was already secured through four sons and now, possibly, a fifth. Nasir had planned to spend the night seeking his _own_ comfort. A night of guaranteed privacy _would_ be the most opportune time to ascertain the progress of Agron and Pietros. Auctus would surely be called upon to tell of his travels and provide entertainment. Nasir hoped Pietros would be more willing to speak if out from under Auctus’ watchful eyes.

Valerius looked irritated that it took so long for their return, but he said nothing as Nasir and Chadara resumed their positions. She held the tray while Nasir cut up the small slices of smoked meat and held out the fork for Valerius to take when he desired. 

“Do you think Auctus would let us borrow his new boy?” Valerius asked. 

“I think Auctus does not like to share,” Nasir said. The lie was smooth as it passed from his lips. Auctus never looked at Pietros with desire, just concern, and often pity. Nasir knew Valerius was almost incapable of understanding why a grown man would keep someone like Pietros around for anything other than to be fucked. He saw no value in Pietros’ kindness, intelligence, or skill. 

Nasir was not certain the exact circumstances that brought Pietros and Auctus together, but Pietros knew weapons. He’d already made note of those whose weights were off and which ones required sharpening or replacing, just from sight without touching them. He mumbled the names of the weapons to himself, in different tongues, some even Nasir could not recognize. He listed the various fighting and training formations under his breath, unthinkingly, as if it was as natural as air. Nasir had realized Pietros was not nearly a slave born of a ludus’ house; he was a true ludus slave. 

“Such a waste,” Valerius murmured. He motioned for Nasir to sit down beside him as he ate, leaning in to brush his lips against Nasir’s fingers. His hands roamed Nasir’s back. “Hmm, I wish to watch you watch them.”

Nasir shifted his gaze to where Auctus and Agron circled around each other. They were both covered in dirt, sweat, and blood. Agron’s grin was demonic compared to Auctus’ teasing smirk. Agron’s footwork had already improved after the first few lessons, but it was no match for Auctus. The former gladiator had yet to truly unleash his skills on Agron. Nasir did not know if wanted that day to come sooner or later. He _did_ know he wanted Valerius to be absent for such a test. 

Nasir’s breath caught for the wrong reasons when Valerius dug his fingers into a particularly sore spot.

“I’ve had enough of this practice. Attend to me before our guests arrive.”

“Yes, Dominus,” Nasir said. It was Tiberius who followed Valerius to his bedchambers, but it was Nasir whose mind dwelt on those bodies grappling under the sun.

*********************

The sound of music and laughter came from the main corner of the villa. Nasir was glad to be free of the occasion. He’d spent the hour before its start correcting all the mistakes before Gaius’ appearance. Gaius came from an old family; the rare kind full of both a noble line and a deep purse. He’d voiced his displeasure at Nasir’s continued presence once, and that was once too many for a man like Valerius who eyed a long future in the Senate. Valerius had more than enough of his own wealth, but it always aided matters to have friends to support in any expensive cause. 

Nasir easily maneuvered the guest quarters in the dark. He’d made such a journey since he was a boy, running everything from messages, to linens, to food, between this wing of the villa and the main one. It wasn’t difficult to find Pietros and Auctus’ room at all. There were only two options and all of Gaius’ slaves were clustered around him and his wife. 

Nasir found Pietros curled up in a corner, the low light from the oil lamp casting shadows across his face, while he fumbled with something in his hands. 

Nasir softly knocked on the beams of the threshold. “May I enter?” he asked. 

Pietros shrugged. “It is your home and I am just a fellow slave. You can do as you wish.”

“Are you?” Nasir asked. He sat down on the same bed as Pietros, but kept a distance between them for comfort. “Auctus does not treat you as a slave.”

“I suppose he has an interesting take on ownership,” Pietros admitted. “He says I am a client now and not a slave.”

Nasir eyes winded at the words. “You are free,” Nasir whispered. “He purchased your freedom.”

“I’ve traded a collar for a collar,” Pietros said. He placed the object in his hands down. It was a bracelet of leather and shells. “I have nowhere else to go and Auctus is nearly a stranger to me.” He laughed; it was a sad, sobbing sound. “This was not how I dreamed of my freedom.”

“But…” Nasir struggled to articulate his words. “You have _choice_ now.”

Pietros nodded. He lifted his head, though he looked through Nasir rather than at him. “I have appearance of it at the very least. I have learned things in the past two months that have required me to question my every breath.” His fingers clenched on the rich fabric covering the bed. “I have yet to decide if this is dream or nightmare.”

If Chadara sat before him, Nasir would reach out a hand to comfort. Such a thing could not be allowed with Pietros. Nasir attempted to put comfort in his words.

“Which would you prefer?” he asked. 

He spied Pietros’ jaw clench. “I prefer oblivion. It is not a _choice_ presented though, so I must find my place in this world. I have never desired to bear arms, yet I can repair them. Auctus said it will be of great aid to him if I do so.”

“Will that be enough?” Nasir asked.

“It will do for now,” Pietros said. He looked down at his hands and the long fingers flexed before curling into fists. “You and the golden-haired girl, you know of things. You speak in layered words of many matters.”

Nasir nodded. “Intrigue is part of our tasks.”

Pietros nodded again before he raised his head. There was a spark in his eyes. “I would be taught by you, if it is permitted. I must learn to hear that which is not spoken. I have had enough of deception and of leading others to death through my ignorance.” He grimaced. “I should see myself to sleep, if Somnus sees fit to grant it.”

Nasir stood. “I hope he does. I will request Auctus to broach subject with my dominus. I see no reason for such a thing to be denied. I would caution though, that sometimes ignorance is the better thing to grasp.”

Pietros shook his head. “Not when it has cost you the life of the only person who ever saw fit to share your heart. It gives you little desire to continue on; when you know they are forever removed from this life due to words that fell from your own mouth; due to your ability to be so easily manipulated. No, Tiberius, my eyes have been opened to the wider world. I must now swim in it, or sink forever to the bottom.”

“Nasir,” he said suddenly.

Pietros brow wrinkled in confusion. “Nasir?” he asked.

Nasir nodded and willed for Pietros to understand. Pietros studied him before he slowly nodded. “Gratitude,” he said. “Gratitude, Nasir,” he whispered low. 

Nasir slipped from the room before he could reveal more in the dark of night. It was dangerous to give Pietros, an unknown factor, such knowledge. Nasir would question later, after sleep and the light of dawn, why he revealed so much. Pietros was like looking into himself in a pool full of waves; Nasir could see traces of the type of man and slave he _could_ have been, if positions were reversed. 

Though Pietros had known love; such was its own sort of freedom. 

Nasir wasn’t surprised when his wanderings brought him to the threshold of Agron’s quarters. He was also still awake, flexing the bloodied fingers of a hurt hand, and cursing under his breath. Nasir did not bother to knock this time. 

“Let me see to that,” he said. 

“Goatfuck,” Agron yelled as he flinched back. “How do you walk without noise? Are their wings attached to your feet?”

Nasir looked down and wiggled his toes. “I see no such sandals and if I am to be Mercury, the gods will be much delayed in having their messages conveyed.”

Agron frowned. “Was that a jest?”

Nasir nodded. “Of a sort.” He gestured for Agron to come closer. “Once Auctus is done with you, we will see to your other lessons. They will always know you as a German, I do not see your accent fading anytime soon, but the least you can do is surprise them with unexpected intelligence. Let them think you a bumbling oaf while you gather all their secrets.”

“Much how they think of you—a quiet, obedient, tiny thing of a slave boy,” Agron said. 

Nasir may have used too much force on Agron’s hand as he inspected it for broken bones, but if Agron didn’t voice protest, Nasir wouldn’t admit to it. He tugged Agron over to the wash basin and carefully poured water over the busted knuckles.

“You are doing well for one so unsuited to Auctus’ training,” Nasir said. 

“Is that the slave or the master who speaks?” Agron questioned.

“The man in front of you,” Nasir growled as he gently dabbed at Agron’s hands. “Dominus will not take any true interest until you learn the blade. You should be somewhere towards mastery by the time he returns from Rome.”

Agron pulled his hands back in surprise. It nearly caused Nasir to fall, but strong hands steadied him.

“Apologies,” Agron said as he pulled his hands away. “I was surprised at the news.”

Nasir wiped off the droplets left on his skin and shrugged. “It is no matter. Dominus is not here to punish you for touching what belongs to him.”

“I do not fucking care if _he_ is the one offended,” Agron grumbled.

“It is your life at risk then,” Nasir said. “Mine as well, if done without Dominus’ permission. You said you were surprised at the news of his departure. Why?”

Agron nodded. “Is this not his home?”

“This is his escape. The farm helps maintain his wealth, but like all wealthy Romans, he must return to his duties in the city.”

“And you go with him?”

“Not this time,” Nasir said. “It is not good for the reputation of his line or his house if I am too often at his side. Calatia is one small city compared to the grand world of Rome. I am secure enough in my position to not pout about exile and risk all of our necks.”

He tried to reach out for Agron’s hands again, there were still wounds to clean, but Agron stopped him by grabbing Nasir’s hands first. It caused Nasir to remain completely still. He wasn’t often touched by anyone else, save Chadara and Valerius. Agron’s fingers were a foreign, but welcome, weight on his skin. There was nothing explicit, even sensual, about the resting of those pale fingers on Nasir’s darker skin. Agron seemed entranced by the act alone; as if the simple touch of flesh to flesh spoke more than any words. Nasir kept silent in the face of Agron’s wonder. He’d seen men taken by the sight of his bare skin before, but never when Nasir stood fully clothed and the object of admiration was just his hands. 

It tickled as Agron’s fingers traced the lines of Nasir’s palms. “I have only felt such soft hands on a child,” he said low. “How can you stand it?” he asked. “How can you stand being so many men at once?”

“We all do what we must to survive,” Nasir said. He found himself suddenly taken in as he brushed his thumbs over the gentle hold of Agron’s fingers. “If I am honest, and it surely seems a night for that, it pains me to know you will come to understand such a life. We must all be one man to our dominus, one in front his guests, one among the vendors in the streets as representatives of this house, one among the field servants, one among the house, one among our friends under this roof, and one when it is just the two of us here. All the parts together make the fractured whole, and it does get confusing at times, but it is the only way. If I completely give myself over to Tiberius, I will lose Nasir and all that is the memory of my past. If I become Nasir, I could lose my life and all those under this house.”

“Nasir?” Agron questioned. He pronounced the name in a way Nasir had never heard before. Such a sound could become an addiction.

“The boy I was before the collar,” Nasir said. He carefully tugged his hand free. “Do not make me regret telling you such.” Request or plea, Nasir could not decide which one it was as it slipped from his lips.

“I will not,” Agron swore.


	4. Four

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Thanks to gaygreekgladiator who read this mess of a chapter over. All remaining mistakes, small and glaring, are mine.

It felt as if a week of preparations had to be fit into the last days prior to Valerius’ departure for Rome. Their master had lingered too long, denying his own reality and responsibilities, and now all would have to counteract the effects of such childish emotions. Nasir did not know what made Valerius turn to such behavior; even when he gave into his selfish desires; he remained a man with a sharp business mind. The farm thrived on the connections made while in Rome; connections and a society which required an urban presence to keep. Gods knew Nasir’s equivalents in the city had tried to keep those connections active; it took a whole team to match what he did from the rural villa. Nasir still controlled as much as he could from here, but there were so many aspects of business which required a physical presence. Pretty prose and promises on paper were worth nothing. Nasir worried for how the family’s reputation was faring. A certain amount of eccentricity could be excused due to wealth and influence, but family was central to Roman citizens and the lack of an heir for Valerius was a concern. Camilla and Drusa would have to gauge the tells of the bodies in Rome for Nasir and report back. The tightening of smiles and unpleasant gazes would tell more than any slowly answered invitation or missive. 

Valerius' departure would be a good thing, for many reasons. Auctus would feel free to train as he saw fit without worrying about putting on a proper show for his patron. The slaves here would feel more relaxed, while the slaves within the city would remember just who they called master. As much as he anticipated the time free from Valerius’ hands, though he would still be required to send letters at least once every three days, Nasir prayed their new overseer would cause little trouble. The farm slaves and their managers were rarely permitted to enter the villa; Valerius did not care for the sight or the stench. Their last overseer had taken it upon himself to test Nasir’s authority. The man had gotten a flogging and a dismissal for his trouble. Vitalis was new; new to freedom, new to his position, new to it all. Only a fool would attempt an overthrow with Auctus in residence, and Nasir hoped he was not a fool.

“Be sure to send Nonus to collect on the loan payment in town,” Valerius said as he sorted through the ledgers. “Let the barbarian tag along. It would be good to see if he can make attempt to blend in around the other slaves and freemen.” 

There was a disgusted curl to Valerius’ lip. The freemen here were new and often lacked citizenship; barely worth Valerius’ concern. He held no respect for men who were not citizens and who, even worse, owed him money. He found nothing of worth in men who could not provide him with a service he required. Even the money brought in from payments was a pittance compared to Valerius’ other sources of income. 

“Have the glassware packed up and locked away in my absence,” he added. “I will not have such things broken again.”

“Yes, Dominus,” Nasir answered. 

Valerius sighed and put down his ledger. He beckoned Nasir forward. Cool hands cupped Nasir’s cheeks as his mouth was taken in a brutal kiss. “I will so miss your taste,” he murmured. 

Years of practice were the only thing that kept the bile from rising in Nasir’s throat. He could normally accept such words and touch without complaint, yet since the night of his confession, even the knowledge that the favor Tiberius gained afforded Nasir a sort of freedom, wasn’t enough to keep him content. 

Valerius pushed him away, though he let one hand linger down Nasir’s back, tracing the curve of his spine until it paused at the small of his back. “Go and check that everything is packed as it should be,” he ordered. “We will spend the night in each other’s arms.”

“Yes, Valerius,” Nasir answered, his words hinting at the affection Tiberius carried for his dominus.

Just a week ago Nasir explained to Agron how it was required to be a different man when faced with different situations. Now even Nasir was struggling to hold to his own masks. This return to Rome would change things; Nasir could feel it roaring through his blood. All suspicions would have to be squashed though. Until he left in the morning, Nasir would remain the faithful Tiberius in every way. 

*********************

Nasir kept his eyes trained to the shadows on the wall. Valerius’ arm was tight around his waist. There would be no escape, not even now in the early dawn light. Valerius had kept him up most of the night, either with his actions or from Nasir’s own worries. If the family’s reputation continued to decline, staff would be let go. Some, like Chadara, might have a chance to stay for possibility of producing an heir. It wouldn’t be the first time a child born of a slave and master was freed and made a citizen for the sake of bloodlines. Or, if Valerius did not wish to have the child tainted by slavery, he could claim him a foundling who he adopted. 

For those with skills like Nonus, jobs could easily be found. For the others? They would be sold off, or sent to the mines, or some even worse fate. He’d already sent word to his counterpart in Rome to keep Valerius in the city as long as possible. 

“I do not know how I will cope with Gemellinus’ much lesser skills,” Valerius murmured. His breath fanned out over Nasir’s skin. “Will you miss my touch, Tiberius?”

“Every hour, Valerius,” Nasir answered. 

It was by the grace of the gods that Valerius never bothered to truly look in Nasir’s eyes. There he would find the lies, the resentment, and the desire for freedom all slaves had. Even masks showed the eyes and Nasir had been told, by many a trusted friend, that he often revealed too much there. It was a good thing a slave’s lot was to remain with head bowed among their master and other citizens. 

Valerius lingered all morning until finally even he could not find another reason to delay departure. The sun was bright, the winds were calm, and everything was packed. Wagons, horses, mules, carriages, and slaves were ready to march north. 

These parting words were the last part of the ceremony. Valerius had words for all who stayed behind. Nasir was the last one left to receive their master’s blessings. 

“I expect the German to be in top shape by the time I return,” Valerius ordered. 

“I will see it done,” Nasir promised. 

Valerius cupped Nasir’s cheek. “Such a beautiful man you’ve become. Do not let hands treat you roughly while I am gone. I would see the life robbed of any who so harmed you.”

“Gratitude, Dominus,” Nasir said. He automatically kissed Valerius’ hand when it rested on his lips. 

“I will send you word once I reach Rome,” Valerius said.

“May Fortuna bless you and Mercury watch your path,” Nasir said. He slid back into the line of slaves.

All collectively stood in silence until the traveling party cleared the walls of the villa. Nasir was proud that they all behaved themselves until it was certain Valerius had passed by the town. His departure was considered one of the slaves eight annual holidays. From the time he left until the very next day, those who stayed behind where allowed the freedom to go into town, see entertainment, enjoy drinks, food, or any pleasures they sought.

It was gift that their exuberance stay silenced until their dominus was far from hearing range.

It was not a day of rest for Nasir or Nonus. They had control over the purses in Valerius’ absence. They had to prepare the small amounts for each slave who requested their coin. Nasir was bone-weary by the time of the midday meal. He had never wished for a cot to sleep upon so much in his life. 

The last of the slaves came to collect their purse and Nasir almost wept when Nonus finally locked the doors and gates to the money vault.

“You should rest,” Nonus said. “The house will be empty; it will not fall if you take an hour to enjoy the afternoon. Even I seek out our town for a drink.”

“And a whore, of course,” Nasir teased. 

Nonus shrugged. “We all must spend our coin as we see fit. You should join me.”

Nasir shook his head. “I’d rather stay here. Enjoy your evening, Nonus. Be safe outside our villa walls.”

“I will see you once the next day is half-done. I am for wine.” 

Nasir watched him go with a smile on his face. Nonus was dedicated to his duty and the protection of those within this house. He’d earned a night of decadence. 

Nasir had earned the right to sleep. He would make one last round of the house and then find his bed. 

He should’ve learned by now that the gods laughed at all his plans.

Agron stood outside the room which held all the extra bed linens. He raised his head to meet Nasir’s gaze. There had not been many words exchanged between them since that night two weeks ago when Nasir was foolish and confessed what he should not. Such words had not brought them closer. Agron had taken to avoiding Nasir and Nasir; he knew well not to meddle with those who didn’t want him. It was odd though, that they kept having moments like this, where their eyes would meet and it felt like the air left the room. There was a different hint of tension between them than before. Interest had always been present since Agron first raised his eyes from the floor and met Nasir’s own upon his arrival to the villa. Curiosity and confusion in regard to Agron were familiar things to Nasir, but he was baffled by what they were now stumbling into. It felt too intimate in a way Nasir was unfamiliar with.

“Agron,” Nasir said in acknowledgement before walking past him into the room. 

Nasir was flustered as he he attempted to sort through the pile of clean linen while Agron watched him from the threshold. Chadara should be present to offer much desired conversation and distraction, yet she’d kept to her bed since Valerius’ departure. 

“I was surprised to see so many of the slaves stay behind,” Agron said.

Nasir addressed the bed linens since they lacked such a searching gaze. “Valerius has many slaves, both here and in the city. There are slaves who sole purpose is to walk around the household and chastise or beat others for not working fast enough or for speaking too loudly. Men like our dominus have too many slaves for positions required over all their households. We are all just decoration; physical embodiments of a man’s wealth. You do not risk such investments on the road when it easier to keep them at home, harsh overseers and all.”

“I have not seen such a harsh slave as you just described.”

The intrigue in his voice made Nasir turn. There was honest confusion on his face and Nasir knew he would have to explain. It was unfair to assume Agron knew all of their ways, when no one bothered to teach him all the details.

“They are not required in the villa when Dominus is present. They are regulated to the field houses and the slaves there. With Auctus in-residence they have no need to come to the main house.”

“And will all here rejoice?”

“Auctus is still a harsh taskmaster in his own right. Do not seek to needlessly anger the man.”

Agron laughed. “I follow his instructions to fight, but he has no claim over me here.”

Nasir shook his head. “You are a slave. He is a free man and a Roman citizen. He holds power over you. Do not forget your place.”

“And will you serve Auctus as you have Valerius?” Agron asked. 

Nasir straightened his shoulders at the implied slight. “Auctus is a friend and teacher. I have few of those I hold dear; do not dare degrade what we share.”

“Apologies,” Agron said. His fingers carefully trailed over Nasir’s closed fists. “It was wrong of me to make such assumptions. 

Nasir allowed himself this; one small moment of touch from a man he desired.

“We are slaves, Agron,” he softly stated. “When we are more than just decoration, we are commanded who to fuck and where. If a slave is kind enough to have a dominus who allows unions between slaves, that is another matter, but the master still holds prior rights and always will.”

“And each time we speak, you ask me to submit to collar, to bury complaints as if mindless agreement will see me to happiness when you present me with _that_ truth. A tease of possible freedom is not enough to see me satisfied. What else of worth should I find here?”

“Apparently only connections to fools,” Nasir said. He tugged his hands from Agron’s hold.

“Nasir,” Agron said.

Nasir turned from him. “It is none of your concern.”

Agron’s fingers brushed across Nasir’s arm as he again said, “Nasir.”

“It is none of your concern,” Nasir repeated. He looked at Agron from over his shoulder. “Unless you wish it to be so.”

“If I do?”

“Then you must seek your own heart and see if it gives you cause enough to quiet your ire.”

They were the only words Nasir would give him now. He would not risk his own life for the sake of a man who would as eagerly greet death as Nasir’s uncertain heart. 

*********************

Nasir sought the room Chadara usually shared with Camilla and Drusa. The other two were gone to Rome, so Nasir cast aside his robe of propriety and eagerly laid down next to Chadara on her bed. She made a mumble of protest before moving over to give him space. 

“I’ve done a foolish thing,” he confessed. 

“I hope it is not to your hair,” Chadara mumbled into the bed linens.

“I told both Pietros and Agron my true name the other week. It was a very confusing night.”

“Little wonder then, you’ve been so solitary lately,” Chadara said as she propped herself up. She looked even more exhausted than Nasir. It was uncommon for her to look so unkempt. 

“Are you ill?” he asked.

“Slavery disagrees with my belly,” she mocked. She tugged the tie from Nasir’s hair and ran her fingers through the curls. “Your eyes tell me that it is not the only foolish thing you’ve done.”

Nasir leaned into her welcome touch. “Each time I speak with Agron we part in angry or hurtful words.”

Chadara smiled. “You are both passionate men. He has re-discovered himself with his training and you…you allow yourself to be true around him.”

“It does not make it any less confusing,” Nasir said.

Chadara’s eyes were kind as she studied him. “Love makes fools of us all,” she said. 

Nasir kissed her fingertips as they teased at the curls around his face. “I do not know such love.”

“I think you are starting to learn,” Chadara said. She slid down again and wrapped her arms around his waist. “I would love to tease you more, but I am so tired, Nasir. Rest beside me?”

It was a request not made since they were much younger; before their days were full of tasks and their nights at Valerius’ side. Valerius did not approve of Nasir and Chadara resting together; he forever worried Nasir would succeed where Valerius had failed. He could not claim an heir if his eyes and skin were as dark as Nasir’s. Chadara was dear to Nasir; with their dominus gone he would never deny her this. 

*********************

The nap with Chadara robbed Nasir of sleep during the night. She still slept and Nasir prayed she hadn’t caught some illness from any of the guests or their slaves. Either way, he’d send for a medicus if such behavior continued. 

Most of the house was still abandoned. Nasir had not seen Agron since their conversation. Pietros had stumbled upon him once to request more oil for his lamp. Nasir felt completely alone as he walked the cool, stone hallways under the faint beams of moonlight trickling into the villa. He was not the only one kept from sleep. He found Auctus sitting against a column near the training ground. 

“It is a sad thing that I miss Valerius in this moment—that I see life as simpler when he is present to demand every moment of my time,” he said by way of greeting.

“You are not suited to an idle life,” Auctus agreed. “Come, there is a thing I would teach you.”

Nasir felt his brow wrinkle. “It is night.”

“Your Diana graces us with a bright moon. I would rather teach you now away from all the prying eyes and gathering crowds.”

Nasir shrugged. “I have little else to occupy my time.”

Auctus laughed. “I have heard worse reasons for undertaking my lessons.” He pulled two long wooden sticks from where they rested against the wall.

“This is not a subtle weapon,” Nasir said as he gripped the wooden spear. It was absent blade or grip rope, yet it felt comfortable in Nasir’s hands.

“I would not have you reach freedom and be without profitable skill,” Auctus said.

Nasir shook his head. “He will never free me.”

“When he marries, his wife may have different ideas about your presence. It will not end well if she has to struggle in controlling this household because they all obey _you_. You know your letters, are well fucking read, and your purse is great for a slave of your age.”

Nasir wished the moon was brighter so he could see Auctus’ eyes. “Are you trying to recruit me?”

“Honestly, I don’t think I could afford you,” Auctus said. “There are a few men I deal with though, some who take to the seas, who would pay well for one with your skills.”

“Pirates,” Nasir guessed.

“Privateers,” Auctus corrected. “They work with the approval of the king or queen they serve.”

“Or so they claim,” Nasir said.

“An argument we shall have when it is of more concern,” Auctus said. “For now, just watch me.”

Seeing Auctus move was very much like watching a dance. A fluid grace encompassed his movement as he went from position to position. Nasir knew inherent skill played its part, but Auctus had been fighting with a spear since before Nasir took his first breath.

Auctus left the sands and it was Nasir’s turn to try. There was nothing to think of here, just movement. The swoosh of wood through air; the feel of his hair carried with the cool night breeze; the crunch of dirt and sand under his bare feet; the taste of salt and sweat on his tongue as he licked his dry lips; all offered perfect distraction from the thoughts that would race through his mind.

Auctus said nothing. He leaned against the wall and observed while Nasir kept to the repetitive patterns. Step back—hold staff out—step forward—thrust staff upward—step to the side—thrust spear down—repeat. Nasir continued until he felt the tremors start in his legs.

“Gratitude,” Nasir said as he placed the staff in Auctus’ waiting hands.

“May the gods bless you with the sleep you need, Nasir.”

Auctus rarely spoken Nasir’s true name. It was only on occasions like this, when Nasir needed to be a man and not a slave. 

“As I pray they reward you, Athanasios.”

They both had the need to cling to those different names and identities; the last traces of the children they once were. It was a sign of respect and trust that they protected each other’s birth names. Auctus never assumed familiarity or friendship with anyone. Nasir knew the priceless gift he had in Auctus’ trust and respect. He would seek not to lose such a jewel. 

********************

Nasir still awoke before dawn even though his body ached in unfamiliar ways. He went to the well to get fresh water for the wash bowl. When he returned there was someone else in his room. He paused to grip the small dagger he always kept hidden.

“Agron?” he asked in confusion. The man stood with bowed head and two bowls of porridge clutched in his hands. He held one out to Nasir.

“Chadara cornered me this morning in the kitchen. I realize that words are required between us. Or rather, confessions.”

“Yes,” Nasir agreed. He put the bowl of fresh water down and took a moment to wipe the traces of sleep from his face. He motioned for Agron to follow him as they sat on Nasir’s bed. He took the bowl from Agron with steady hands, even when their fingers brushed together. 

“Misunderstandings do seem to come often between us,” Nasir said.

“Conflict also weighs on my mind,” Agron said. He put the bowl of porridge to the side as he hands began to tremble. “There are things you should know. I am not a man who deserves your kindness and to have it, to have such trust, makes me think I shall fail again. I come from a people where family, your clan, and your bonds are everything. We do not have such cities or wealth; we only have our weapons and each other. My arrogance cost my brother his life. In that last battle, the one that took all from me, I just had to give one final taunt to the Gaul at my feet. I needed that validation of holding such power over another; of mocking the gods of Death and War. Such actions provided time and distraction enough for another to attack me. I heard Duro’s voice scream my name as the darkness took me; I well know how it sounds when choked with blood from grievous wound. We have fought many battles together and never abandon the other. I woke in chains without him at my side, and we always promised to fight and die together. Vows are the most sacred things to my people. And I…I swore to protect him in front of my whole clan. I cannot simply accept this life when I came to it in such a way.”

Nasir wished he knew Agron as well as he knew Chadara. He wanted to cup his cheek and promised all would be well, to feel the harsh stubble rub against his palm when Agron accepted the touch. 

All Nasir could do was offer words. “If your brother still lives, you can seek your freedom and find him again, Agron. Or any of your family. If you work hard and rise in Valerius’ eyes, in ten years you could return to your home; a home you can recall with family who remember you.”

“There is no guarantee any of them still draw breath or will do so in ten years. I see little reason to try and live for dreams.”

“Dreams are all slaves have," Nasir said. “You should put more value in them.”

Agron raised his eyes and met Nasir’s own. “I’ve always been taken more with the visions before me.” 

Nasir automatically ducked his head, turning from the intense gaze upon him. He couldn’t help the small laugh that escaped at such a statement.

“For one who does not think he deserves my kindness, he is certainly trying to win some of my softer touch,” he teased. 

Agron laughed then. “Your tongue is a dangerous thing. I was right to fear it.” Agron’s fingers ghosted over Nasir’s own before resting on his wrist, teasing at Nasir’s pulse. “I understand desire; I know you do as well, but I also understand risk. You’ve warned me of such, of what consequences could come about. I do not understand how to not care about you. I have tried to separate the drive of my body from that of my heart. These last few weeks have been confusing and there are times when I can hear nothing but your real name echoing in my head. It terrifies me and I am not one who is used to fear.”

Nasir couldn’t fight the urge anymore. He slipped his hand from Agron’s hold and cupped Agron’s face. The skin was warm there, alive, rough from the sun and lack of shaving. He was a _real_ person, this Agron, and not just some image or dream. Nasir ran his fingers over the perfect arches of Agron’s eyebrows and almost gasped in surprise when Agron leaned into the touch like a housecat. 

“This is a very dangerous thing,” Nasir confessed to the air.

“Is it not always with you?” Agron asked. 

Nasir laughed, the sound bubbling up through his body, as his fingers reached up to run through Agron’s soft hair. Agron’s stuttering breath whispered over Nasir’s skin. It made a pleasurable shiver run down his spine. 

“Nasir,” Agron said, voice low, question implied. 

“Please,” Nasir said. He had never been kissed by a man whom he desired; one he wanted because _he_ craved it and not because an order told him to feign interest.

Agron’s lips were not soft as they brushed over Nasir’s own. They did not taste of honey or expensive wine. There was no overwhelming smell of perfumed oil coming from his hair or clothes. He felt earthy, like a wood spirit come to life under Nasir’s hands. 

Nasir angled his head up, pulled Agron closer, and sought the taste of his mouth and the touch of his hand on his skin. The hand that teased at his hair was gentle and light of touch; never demanding, only asking. 

“Nasir do you have any—oh,” Chadara’s words suddenly stopped. 

Nasir forced himself from the addictive pull of Agron’s lips to level his displeased gaze at her. The smile on her face was glorious. She tapped her hands to her chin and Nasir mirrored her actions. He could already feel the raised bumps on his skin from Agron’s beard.

“Apologies,” Chadara said. “Auctus seeks his pupil and I seek some ginger. I will attempt distraction while you two prepare yourselves for the day.”

“Fuck the gods,” Agron muttered into the bare skin of Nasir’s shoulder.

“Thank them,” Nasir chastised. “Thank them with all that is in you. Chadara will not tell a soul other than Pietros; possibly Auctus or perhaps Nonus once he returns from the town, but no more than that until the others return.” Nasir shook his head. “Apologies. You have the correct sentiment. Fuck the gods.”


	5. Five

It felt decadent to spread bare feet out on cool stone and rest in the shade. Chadara still looked ill and with little to do, Auctus being the only non-slave present and a self-sufficient man at all times, Nasir allowed the house to go on light-duties. They would have to begin the full clean of the house tomorrow, a standard task once Valerius took leave, but another day of respite would not hurt any of them.

Respite for all except Agron, of course. Auctus never was one to favor what he viewed as wasted time. They’d moved from fighting with bare fists to those wrapped in leather. Agron had grown steadier on his feet, but still fell often to Auctus’ experience. He was learning to anticipate the unexpected. It was a testament to Auctus’ skill as a teacher, and Agron’s as a student, that he’d already come so far.

Nasir knew how devious Auctus could be though; a test was surely to come in the passing days. He decided to put worry from mind, even as his eyes lingered on the play of muscles in Agron’s back, and turned to Chadara. 

She was grinning at him in a way that could mean his downfall. He sighed with relief when she switched her gaze to Pietros. He almost wanted to warn him, but if Pietros was going to learn to wage war with words, this was how he should start.

“Did you spend much time among the house slaves at your ludus?” she asked. Her voice was deceptively innocent. Nasir almost cringed. 

Pietros nodded. “I was raised among them. My mother was one of the kitchen slaves and my father helped acquire weapons for the ludus before a fever cut him down. After I was old enough to work in the ludus, my mother was sold to another household. I do not know how the gods have seen to her fate.”

“Oh, if we are to share tales of our childhood, we will need more wine. My own tale requires a cup full.” Chadara clapped her hands. “Tiberius, if you would,” she said in her best Valerius-impression. 

Nasir shook his head, yet stood all the same. “You are a wicked creature,” he admonished.

“Valerius does so like to dress me up as a nymph,” Chadara agreed. “Fetch us some wine, o beloved friend.”

“Do we bore you?” Auctus as when he spied Nasir.

“I only seek refreshment,” he explained.

Auctus nodded. “A good choice. We will break as the mid-day sun rises. Agron, help Tiberius gather food and wine.”

Nasir’s eyes narrowed at Auctus’ smirk. Fucking treacherous Greeks. The hall was empty as they walked the familiar path to kitchen and wine cellar. The air felt heavy from more than just a coming storm. Nasir could _feel_ every part of Agron thrumming in the air beside him. His breath caught when Agron’s arm brushed against his own and Nasir forgot that he was supposed to be Tiberius; to be a stoic slave of decorum. He pushed Agron into one of the side alcoves and took a moment to breathe in his scent.

“You reek of sweat and sand,” Nasir said. He licked a bead of sweat off Agron’s chest. “I am unaccustomed to having such around me.” His fingertips brushed off some of the grit sticking to Agron’s stomach. “I find it a desirable scent upon your skin.”

Agron softly grinned down at him, hands gently cradling Nasir’s head. “This is not the reserved Nasir I’ve come to expect. I like this face the best,” he confessed. 

Nasir tilted his head back into the fingers that teased at the nape of his neck. He smirked at the barely audible groan that slipped past Agron’s lips. “It is not a face you will see often,” Nasir admitted. “I find myself out of sorts around you.”

“Do you dislike it?” Agron asked. 

Nasir opened his eyes at the suddenly serious tone of Agron’s voice. He placed a hand on Agron’s cheek, delighting as always in the unfamiliar feel of the beard under his fingers. It would have to go before the next time they took Agron into town, but without Valerius present, Nasir saw no reason to order a daily shaving. He almost forgot Agron’s question as he allowed himself the indulgence.

“It makes my blood roar in a way that terrifies me, but I would not have such a feeling absent now that I know it.” He stepped back. “We should see our task to completion. If Auctus comes after us, the consequences will be long and painful.”

They restrained themselves long enough to gather a small tray and two amphorae of wine, but as they passed the alcove an exchanged look saw duty put aside once again. It was Nasir’s turn to be caught breathless as Agron pressed him into the wall. Between the cool stone at his back and the warm skin at his front, he was completely lost. Agron may have feared Nasir’s kindness, but his mouth was even more of a dangerous weapon. He told Nasir as much, murmured words breathed low between deep kisses. 

Raised brows and wide smiles greeted their return; though tongues kept silent until Agron and Auctus took to the sands again. 

“I do not know if I could love a warrior,” Chadara mused. “It must be a trying thing even with such a body falling apart beneath your hands.”

“It is a dangerous thing to care,” Nasir agreed.

Chadara rolled her eyes. “Leave it to Tiberius to cast the darkest of clouds over what should be a time of prime gossip.” She tugged on a strand of his hair. “Not that he has a cause to frown so.”

“Evidence of an affection is clear on his skin,” Pietros agreed. His smile was a gentle thing, but seeing it felt like the warmest rays of sun. “The risk is worth it, if your heart is strong enough to survive such a task.”

It was a small revelation into Pietros’ past and Nasir wished to question it, but he was drawn to the sound of wooden weapons. So was Pietros. He rose up the moment Auctus pulled out the training weapons.

“No,” Pietros said before Agron could even take the offered swords. He stepped on the sand and walked right over to them. “That is not suited to his skill. He’s not agile enough for the double swords, Auctus, you know that.”

“I merely seek to teach him—”

“You cannot teach that which he does not possess,” Pietros interrupted. He went over to the case and selected a training sword of a slightly longer length and heavier weight. He carried it with a certain familiarity as he held it out to Agron. “Take it,” he urged. “You were taught to fight with spear and long sword before, yes? That was the way of all the Germans in my ludus.”

Agron nodded. “You had my people in your ludus?”

“A few; Gauls were the most favored, but we even had a few Syrians over the years, along with a troublesome Greek or two.”

Auctus pointed one of the swords at Pietros. “I was there the day you were born, little bird, do not mock me.” He threw the weapon and grinned with ease when Pietros caught it. “You teach the barbarian and I will sit a moment to enjoy drink and gossip.”

**********************

Nasir never favored going down to the field house to speak with the overseer, but he’d already received one letter from Valerius inquiring on Vitalis’ performance. Nasir found strength in numbers and took a whole party with him; Nonus for protection, Chadara for back-up, and Pietros for an outsider’s insight. A few of the field slaves raised their heads to watch them pass and Nasir tried to keep his head held-high. He did hold pride in his position, in how he had made himself valuable to their dominus, but he still knew some shame as he paraded around in so-called rags of expensive cloth while the others worse cast-offs of the bed linens and scraps from the hunting dogs’ uniforms. 

“It is still a better life than the mines,” Nonus reminded him. He patted Nasir’s shoulder. “Do not feel shame for position you’ve gained at your own cost.”

“They could just as easily be me, in both scenarios,” Nasir reminded him.

“It could be any of us,” Pietros said, “yet it is not.”

Nasir met his gaze and gave him a nod of gratitude. Pietros was still a soul in mourning, Nasir doubted that would ever leave him, but another man was starting to emerge from that shade. He’d been with them almost two months now and each day saw him brought closer to the fold.

“Do all ludus slaves know so much about weapons?” Chadara asked. “I’ve seen many of your sessions with Agron now. You have the knowledge of a trainer.”

“I grew up with them,” Pietros said. His hand covered the _B_ brand on his arm. “I was trusted in that house to handle both the training weapons made of wood and the real ones made of metal. I was rewarded for loyalty.” He laughed. “The fucker went and murdered my Barca with the very fucking weapons he charged me to guard. I pray the gods see him dead by the hands of the beasts he trains. May Hannibal again rise from the ashes.”

The words were spoken with such conviction, Nasir thought the gods must have heard such prayers. 

“What brings the pampered pet from the house?” Vitalis called.

Nasir sighed; he had actually had some hope for this one. 

“Something will be slipped into his meal,” Chadara promised. Nasir squeezed her hand in response.

“Dominus seeks your reports,” Nasir said, ignoring the slight. “I am here to collect them.”

Vitalis narrowed his eyes. “I already sent a dispatch his way.”

Nasir nodded. “I am aware of this. Dominus asks _me_ to look over your reports. It is a task I have done for every unfortunate man who has ever held your position. I suggest that if you wish to hold such an occupation for more than a season, you place accounts in my hand or prepare yourself for the inevitable consequences.”

Vitalis crowded into Nasir’s space and got in his face. “I answer to no fucking slave.”

Nasir didn’t even bother to waste words. He allowed his mask to slip and then he was not Tiberius or Nasir; he was the angry result of a young man born in war who had been tethered and chained for far too long to be healthy or safe. Nasir was capable of wilder things; felt the call of the beast inside him, but learned to repress it for the sake of peace. He let it bleed out in moments like this, when all parts of him were in agreement. 

Vitalis backed down. He did not move far enough; Chadara was sick all over his boots.

“Apologies,” she said. “The wine has disagreed with me lately.”

Nasir turned to her with a much softened face. “Pietros will escort you back to the house. Rest and I will see to you later.” He again looked at Vitalis. “The reports?”

Vitalis scrambled back. “I will see to them now,” he hurriedly said.

*********************

Nasir’s eyes burned and his fingers were stained with ink after finishing the long scroll to Valerius. As much as he wanted to find fault with Vitalis’ tactics, he’d managed to increase output without seeing more slaves injured and therefore ruining Valerius’ investments. A lesser man would’ve found reason to water their dominus’ seeds of suspicion anyway, but Nasir had never favored needless death. He’d sent the message off with one of the runners and now sought his own bed. 

He checked on Chadara first. She slept under the watchful eyes of Pietros, who had not left her side since return to the villa.

“You should seek your own bed,” Nasir said.

Pietros shook his head. “I would like to avoid the night terrors as long as possible. It is good to feel needed sometimes. It has been too long since I sought to care for another’s health.”

“Do you know what causes her illness?” Nasir asked.

Pietros shrugged. “I am no medicus, but I have an inkling of suspicion.” 

“As do I,” Nasir agreed. It could be a good or bad thing. Nasir would wait for Chadara’s word until he sent for the medicus. If she wished to see such things to a continuance or an end, he would be at her side. 

Agron was his next stop. The room was dark, yet Agron’s breaths were not that of a sleeping man.

“You lay awake in the dark?” Nasir questioned. 

The shifting sounds of limbs on linen echoed through the room as Agron sat up. “I was waiting for you.”

“You could still light a lamp,” Nasir teased as he slid into Agron’s arms.

“I like the dark,” was the simple reply. 

Nasir could’ve easily fallen asleep there, with head rested on Agron’s shoulder as his breath stirred Nasir’s hair. It was a luxury Nasir could not yet allow himself. He was expected by all in the household to be in his own bed if an emergency should occur. He made to pull away, but Agron’s lips pressed a teasing kiss behind his ear.

“Stay?” he asked. 

Nasir hesitated at the threshold of decision. There were so many reasons to leave and only one to remain; that one was important though, and Nasir’s was decided before he even had a chance to think.

He turned his face and captured Agron’s lips in the dark. It was already instinct to search them out and seek the taste inside his mouth. Nasir could not allow this each night; he would struggle to cope with its absence upon Valerius’ return. It would be a special thing then, their nights together, spread out for when most needed and desired. Nasir would work it into his life like he did all things. 

As Agron’s fingers fumbled at the tie to Nasir’s breeches, little thought for future planning was in his mind. All he could feel was the heat, the want, the power of desire made by his own choice. He welcomed the feel of Agron’s rough bed linens under his skin, of hair absent perfume, of the rough brush of toughened skin and prickly hair over him. He held on to Agron’s hips, fingers gliding over the sharp cut of a body formed by the gods as he hitched his legs up higher, and angled his hips to meet each of Agron’s thrusts. 

There was a price to be paid for such things, Nasir knew, a cost that could take part of the soul. Each slave took that risk when they attempted to share more than just company. He’d fought its pull for so long; now, as Agron whimpered into his mouth and Nasir laughed at the teasing touch of Agron’s fingers on his stomach, he forgot his need for care and control. 

*********************

Nasir was overseeing a food delivery with the cook when Chadara and Valentina approached. They were supposed to be packing up all the glassware and locking it in one of the trunks.

“What calls you from task?” Nasir asked. 

“You must come to the training yard,” Valentina said. “It appears Auctus is trying to goad Agron into murder. I have never seen a sparring practice go so fierce.”

Nasir felt his brow wrinkle in concern. “What does Auctus say?”

They both shook their heads. “We know not the words. They sound rough, like the ones Agron has spoken,” Chadara said. 

Nasir desperately kept to his façade even as he fought the urge to sigh. Of course Auctus would taunt Agron in his own tongue. The former gladiator had little patience for other’s tempers and always sought to somehow make it worse. Nasir could never understand _how_ that helped matters; Auctus swore it was part of good training. 

“Valentina, continue the account of supplies,” he said as he handed over his wax tablet. “Chadara with me.”

They followed his commands without question. Five years ago Nasir would’ve been answering to another and now there was only one in the household whose authority was obeyed above his own. There were days he still felt uncomfortable with such power. Then there were days like today, when Valerius was absent and expected Nasir to, as always, run all in his absence.

“How long have they been fighting?” Nasir asked Chadara as they hurried through the villa.

“An hour at most,” Chadara said. “They are making a mess of things. I do hope we can get the blood off the columns.”

Nasir frowned. No one bloodied up the columns under his watch. This was why he wanted the sparring sessions to occur _outside_ the interior gates once Auctus brought in the weapons. 

The swords had been dropped to the dirt as Auctus and Agron proceeded to use their fists to bruise bones and break skin. Blood was even starting to hit the walls. 

He turned to Nonus. “You do not intervene?”

Nonus nodded. “Auctus told me to stay whenever I made attempt.”

Nasir did sigh then much to the amusement of both Chadara and Nonus. “And you?” he asked Pietros.

Pietros scoffed. “I know better than to come between two men fighting like that. I quite like my nose how it is.”

“I assure you, the walls do not need such decoration,” Nasir called to the fighting men. “I ask you to cease your lessons for the day before further damage is done. Some of us have to clean those walls and I would not seek to allocate all day for it.”

“Apologies,” Auctus said before punching Agron in the gut. He smirked as the man fell to the ground. “The practical lesson got away from me.”

“Agron,” Nasir cautioned before he could tackle Auctus, “go with Chadara. She will see your wounds tended.” He made sure his gaze conveyed there would be no argument. 

Agron left, but not before spitting blood at Auctus’ feet. 

Nasir waited for Nonus, Pietros and Chadara to leave before approaching Auctus. “Taunting the man in his own tongue," he hissed. "Was that truly necessary?”

“Yes,” Auctus said as he gathered up the practice swords.

Nasir fought the urge to strangle Auctus himself. “Would you please care to elaborate?”

Auctus turned to Nasir with a dark twist of his lips. “It is necessary to break a man down to make a good warrior. He must be made anew, reborn; he must forget who and what he once was to be truly effective. Agron may have taken to this life after losing all that brought purpose, yet within still resides the barbarian. The things he knows, the techniques he was raised on, must be forgotten or relearned correctly. He no longer fights Gauls and wild boars. He fights men, in the protection of others, which means he cannot blindly focus on a singular target or fight only motivated by anger. Whatever it takes, I will make him succeed.”

The words were well spoken and with conviction. Nasir still did not trust them as complete truth. “Is that all? Or did you use his tongue to convey message you did not wish the others to hear?”

Auctus paused in his cleaning of the weapons and looked to some of the slaves gathered about. “Young Tiberius, your mind may well be the thing that brings you to death.” He leaned in close and winked. “Besides, I had to make certain he was worthy of you.”

Nasir rolled his eyes. “Athanasios,” he warned at Auctus’ grin. He raised his voice to give answer the others would gossip about. “As much an answer as I require. I will send Chadara to your rooms with refreshment. Good day, Auctus.”

Nonus was by the door to Agron’s rooms when Nasir approached. 

“He is in a rage,” Nonus warned. 

Nasir nodded. “I know well how to calm such wild manners. Make certain Auctus reaches his room without incident.”

Nonus cast a doubtful glance to Agron’s room. “If you are hurt, Dominus will kill me.”

Nasir patted Nonus’ arm, as it was the closest he could reach without a stool. “He will not harm me.”

Nonus remained uncertain, yet knew better than to disobey one of Nasir’s orders. Nasir waited until he had turned into the hallway before entering Agron’s rooms. The eyes that met him were full of hurt and anger. Nasir calmly stood and waited for the worst to emerge. Agron, he had learned, was prone to expletive-laden yells. 

“Do you only seek my company because that fuck orders it to keep me appeased, or does desire stir your actions,” Agron demanded, blood and spit both dribbling from his mouth.

Those were not the words Nasir expected. Clearly Auctus had taught Agron more than one lesson this past session. He felt his jaw tighten and tried to remember why responding to anger in kind only brought more pain. It did feel like a betrayal though, for Agron to doubt Nasir’s intentions when he had shared so much of his own past with the man. Suspicions stirred harder; Valerius’ letters had turned dark of late; Nasir held little doubt he’d used means to influence Auctus’ taunts during the sparring session. True, Auctus could not be so easily influenced, but that did not mean spies did not exist among the staff. It was a delicate game the slaves played for position and Nasir had always known many sought to push him from proverbial throne.

It was time for Nasir to test Agron’s resolve in different matters; to see if he had the strength to bear this task before them.

“I sought your company for the reason I always have. If you cannot recall, or refuse to believe, the words I have spoken to you of my own doing than perhaps it is best if I refrain from _appeasing_ you again,” he coolly responded. He took a deep breath and centered himself, letting the mask of Tiberius slide over his very soul. “Apologies for any perceived insult,” he intoned. “I will take pains to see it never happens again. We have others that may be more to your tastes.” 

He left the room with his head held high, remembering the image he had to project for his place in this household, in their hierarchy, and how he would not beg for a man who thought him little better than a whore. 

“Nasir,” Agron said.

Nasir turned to him, glaring in the way he only reserved for those deemed far lower than himself. “Do not ever seek to call me that again.”

Agron approached him. “If you wish it, _Tiberius_ ,” he sneered the last word out. “I ask you to only think of how it felt, being told by that fucking Greek that my affections were all in folly. You are so insulted now? How was I to feel?”

Nasir reached forward and grasped Agron’s chin. “You _trust_ me. Me, the man who has risked punishments you cannot even imagine by seeking to give you more than just my body. You listen to _me_ , Agron, not some fucking Greek with a heart grown bitter because the man he loved turned from him for something younger and more delicate. Do you wish my company forever gone from you? For another to come to your bed and soothe sore wounds and troubled mind?”

“No,” Agron stuttered out.

“Then you swear to me, as dear as any vows to your gods and souls of your family, that you will not trust another’s _words_ over my _actions_ ever again. You still do not know this world, Agron. It is a dangerous place with consequences you could never imagine.”

Agron nodded, almost looking lost, but with eyes that remained true and steady. “I swear to it.”

Nasir tightened his grip as a test; Agron remained still. He could have easily shook Nasir off, reacted by throwing him into the wall or worse, but he did nothing except breathe and blink. 

Nasir nodded. “Good. Words are a luxury we do not have, Agron. Anything spoken can see us damned. Even if Valerius gives us leave to share our bodies, that is all we have permission to do. There are whispers we can pass in the night, in our own company, but to speak of it to others can risk the lives of all in this house. Do you understand?”

Agron nodded again. “I do,” he answered in a gruff voice. 

Nasir cocked his head and listened for the sound of any others approaching. He spared a glance to the doorway before quickly leaning up and capturing Agron’s lips for a quick meeting. He pulled back with a satisfied smile at the fog in Agron’s eyes.

“I cannot seek you this night, or any again until I can do a thorough run-down of the household slaves. Auctus may have sought your provocation on Valerius’ orders, and I will not give our dominus cause to cease our arrangements.” He let Agron’s chin go. “I will see you with the dawn.”

“That was fucking test?” Agron asked. 

Nasir nodded. “Congratulations, you passed.” He started to leave, but paused for one more word. “Barely.”

Agron’s scowl made Nasir grin in response. He left the room only to hear a _fucking Syrians_ follow in his wake.

His relief was short-lived. 

“Tiberius!,” Valentina screeched at the top of her not-insignificant lungs. 

Nasir ran towards her voice, only distantly aware that Agron followed close behind him. Auctus and Pietros met them as well, swords in hand, as they came to a halt at the doorway to the kitchens. Nonus sat with Chadara’s head cradled in his hands. Her eyes were closed and her body still.

“Send for the medicus now,” Nasir bellowed at the other slaves gathered around. He knelt down to feel for a pulse. It was there, still strong if unsteady. He called to her, yet her eyes remained closed. The basket of bread and berries she carried was overturned, its contents having spilled out and been crushed on the floor.

It was easier to focus on the blue and purple stains than the fear that made Nasir’s hands tremble.


	6. Six

A child was both a gift and curse to a slave. It could guarantee a place in the household, at least until the child was grown, if the dominus was feeling generous. There were some who preferred to keep their slaves bred and raised at home; it allowed them to show their wealth, that they were capable of supplying for even more mouths. Many slaves were forced to rid themselves of such a burden on the dominus’ coin. Chadara’s place stood even more dangerous now. She carried the child of Valerius; for a man in desperate need of an heir, he could well free Chadara, and the babe, and secure his line. Or, he could claim the babe a foundling, born in freedom, and send Chadara away to silence any chance of protest. If the child was a daughter, Chadara would receive no such security; she may well be banished for such a failure. Nasir couldn’t order her to take silphium without Valerius’ orders, nor could he find it in him to ask her if she wished to lose another child. 

She had woken after her fall, embarrassed by causing such a fuss, and stumbled through her words as she answered the medicus' inquiries. It was Auctus who eventually took over, questioning her in the soft dulcet tones of their Grecian tongue until he could confirm what they all suspected. Chadara had been ordered to rest for the rest of the day. Pietros had nominated himself her protector, and Nasir was so grateful to him and the caring heart that emerged even from the bitter shell that encased it. 

Nasir did not have the time to linger at Chadara’s bedside. He was certain now that Valerius, or perhaps even one of his well-meaning friends, had a spy among the slaves. Many a heart had turned due to coin; Nasir was not surprised to find such in this house. He had his own schemes though, born of the trauma from his own past. It all hinged on the charity of one man, and Nasir prayed to any gods that were listening, he would be moved by remembered past.

He walked to the other end of the house with purpose. He could not falter in this matter, even as he feared the possible consequences. Nasir was approaching a free man, a citizen, with a demand. Auctus was something like a friend, but there were limits to all bonds. 

“You may enter,” Auctus said as Nasir approached the threshold. “I have a feeling I know what you seek.”

Auctus’ eyes were focused on some spot on the wall. He didn’t turn as Nasir entered and stood at his side. It was easier for Nasir to study the stones on the floor than the unmoving features of Auctus’ face. “I must ask a dangerous favor of you.”

“One that could mean my death,” Auctus agreed. “I am the only one that can help you with such, of course.” He motioned Nasir to come forward. “Sit, Nasir, I cannot tell this tale to the stones.”

Nasir complied, suddenly unsure of the mood between them. Auctus seemed almost vulnerable.

“I adored my old dominus, Titus,” Auctus confessed. “We all did. He had respect for his gladiators. He treated us like a father and we honored him like dutiful sons. We never forgot our places, but he made us feel as if we were more than slaves. He liked to breed new slaves from within his household; he felt it the best way to guarantee loyalty to the house. He asked me once, even knowing where my desires fell, if I could make attempt with one of the house slaves. My daughter’s name was Diona; I was still but a boy when she was born. Her mother died in the process of bringing her to life and part of me felt it was easier to have her raised as one of the other orphaned slave children in that home than as my own.”

“What happened to her?” Nasir asked. He could not imagine Auctus freeing Pietros and leaving his own daughter to serve a man he openly despised. 

“The House started to fall to ruin when Quintus tried to be a greater man than his father. My daughter was one of the many who paid the price. I have kept in contact with one of her friends from the ludus. Naevia found coin to get her out once she was used roughly. I do not know if she still lives. She could be anywhere. In some of my travels I always hoped I would stumble across him in some place far from Rome’s touch, but such dreams are for children. I have not been so innocent since before the War of the Allies.”

Nasir gripped Auctus’ hand, and offered the only comfort he could. “I do not know if Chadara will want to keep the babe; I only fear what will happen if such a choice is forced upon her again.”

Auctus nodded. “Valerius did advise me to help myself to anything in the house, including his slaves.” He frowned. “I’ve never been known to indulge such before. Perhaps we can use my time among the pirates as an excuse for my sudden absence of manners.”

“Sudden?” Nasir scoffed.

“Do not tease the man you ask such a dangerous thing of,” Auctus said. The words were harsh, but a smile flittered across his lips. “Get some rest, Nasir. We shall talk to Chadara come the morn. I am certain that with your two devious minds working at it, we can make this lie appear plausible.”

 

********************

 

Nasir felt extremely small as he walked the city streets between Nonus and Agron. They were to attempt Agron’s first trial of collecting payments. It would serve as proper excuse for why Nasir had taken so long to report such an insignificant matter as Chadara’s belly taken with child. 

Chadara still had yet to voice her final opinion at how it should all be handled. Nasir would purchase the herbs required this day, just in case. He was not paying much attention to the murmured instructions Nonus gave Agron; as long as no one died today Nasir would count it as victory.

“Why is Tiberius the one charged with such tasks?” Agron asked. It felt odd to hear him utter Nasir’s other name. Agron tripped over the first letters each time. They were fortunate such a thing could be excused by his homeland, and not his lack of familiarity with the name.

“Tiberius acts as the will of our dominus in his absence,” Nonus said. “We act as his guardians. We are the extensions of his power.”

“And as such it will cause jealousy among certain men and women inside these cities walls. They may be free, but they are not citizens,” Nasir explained. 

“Does it matter that fucking much?” Agron asked.

Nasir shook his head. “We have so many more lessons ahead of us,” he muttered.

Nonus snickered low as they approached the first shop. A tanner worked here; the whole family that had started in service to Valerius’ father. They were not required to pay anything this month, but Nasir was still needed to take stock of the shop. 

It was good to test Agron on such a day. There were no festivals in town, or any additional tourists or military presence other than those passing through to greater cities to the north and south. There was nothing here that _should_ invoke Agron’s wrath. If it was a _true_ test, they would be headed to Neapolis or Picintia on their own, instead of with Nonus present to supervise. That might come once Valerius returned from the city; Nasir could not imagine such permission given now, especially not once Nasir sent the letter about Chadara. 

“Tiberius,” Mercurius called in greeting. “It is good to see you again.” 

Normally the man would offer a quick embrace to Nasir, yet he stalled his movements this time. Nasir glanced out the side of his eye to see Agron’s scowl and Nonus’ small smile. Nasir ignored his supposed guards and stepped forward to greet Mercurius like the old friend he was. He still worked as a slave when Nasir was first brought to the farm. He was kind during Nasir’s first months, when he was still learning Latin and not deemed civilized enough to keep Valerius company as his little Syrian pet. 

Eyes bore into Nasir’s back, and he buried his smile in the familiar feel of fatherly embrace. Mercurius was freed upon the death of Valerius’ father. Like so many of the older slaves, he was protected by their old dominus’ will. 

“The house has expanded,” Mercurius said.

Nasir nodded. “With more to come, I fear.” He left it at that and focused instead on the state of the shop and its profit. It allowed him to pretend that there was a possible future for a life free of bondage, where he could act as an agent for Valerius rather than his slave.

The only way Nasir would see freedom was when it greeted him in the Underworld, he had always known that, but his heart had started to turn to other dreams. They were wishes that hadn’t clouded his mind since Valerius took hold of the family. They were desires brought about by the eyes that now followed his every movement. 

They were the things that could very well bring about Nasir’s end. He pushed it aside, remembered that in these streets he was Tiberius, and served his home with honor and distinction. 

******************

“Chadara wishes to see you,” Pietros greeted him upon their return from the city. Nasir left Nonus to show Agron where their collected coin was kept locked away. He followed Pietros past the rooms busy with slaves giving the villa its full cleaning, to the much brighter halls of the guest quarters where Auctus and Pietros slept.

“You’ve moved her here?” he questioned.

Pietros shrugged. “She needs a proper bed, and sleep often deserts me.” His hand covered the brand on his other arm. “I suppose lack of daily tasks is one thing I enjoy about this new life.”

Nasir nodded as if he understood. Truthfully the idea of so much idle time baffled him. He found himself craving the structure of his standard days even when all slaves in Rome were supposed to be given over to celebration. Nasir did not welcome the time that allowed him to dwell. 

“You appear to be adjusting well.”

Pietros’ laugh was hollow. “My hands still pass out swords for those stronger than I to practice with; I still end my days dreaming of a life I can never have; each morning is greeted with the desire for what has escaped me. I do not know if it is so much an adjustment, as it is clinging to the familiar in a slightly different world.”

“I think you have a different kind of strength that is no less valuable,” Nasir said. “Perhaps you should ask Auctus to teach you in the way of the spear as well.”

A shiver passed through Pietros’ body as if a shade from the Underworld had walked past. His voice was small when he spoke, “I think it would kill something in us both if Auctus placed spear into _my_ hands.”

Nasir did not ask after the deeper story there; Pietros would share it in time, and Nasir had the patience and respect to wait. 

Chadara graced him with a tiny smile as they entered Pietros’ room. She looked uncertain, an uncommon thing for such a woman. He fought the urge to let comforting lies slip from his tongue. She needed his honesty now, not any sense of pity.

“Agron survived the city?” she asked.

Nasir nodded. “No one is dead or bleeding. There were a few moments of concern, but I believe it was more having so many people in such an enclosed space. A curse for one of the wild woods, I assume.”

“Caged animals are dangerous things,” Chadara agreed. She held out her hand and pulled Nasir close once he took it. “Have you written our dominus yet?”

“Your decision stays my hand,” he admitted. 

There was nothing but the sound of their breathing in the room as Chadara thought. She looked first to Nasir, then to Pietros standing sentry at the doorway, then back to her hands.

“It is not an easy task,” she whispered.

“No,” Nasir agreed. He pushed a strand of her soft hair back behind her ear. “Yet only you can make it.”

“Choice is an unfamiliar and heavy burden,” Chadara said. 

“That’s what they would have us believe,” Nasir said. Pietros snorted at the dark undertone of Nasir’s words and they all shared a fleeting moment of amusement.

Chadara’s grip tightened on his hand. She was scared and Nasir grasped at any possible ideas to lift such a burden from her shoulders. They were no words or acts that could help in this moment. It was Chadara alone. 

“Auctus spoke with me,” she said. “He seems sincere in his proposal, though I do not understand why he would risk such. I am not his daughter to save, and why declare a child of mine one of his own? If we tell Valerius, and he lets it live, he will take my babe if it’s a son. If it’s a girl, I am certain he will leave her to the wild. I could take action now to rid myself of either future outcome.” She looked up at him, as if pleading for an answer. She frowned when Nasir shook his head. “I _fear_ all outcomes,” she said.

Nasir did not know what to say, or if he _should_ offer words of comfort. 

“I want the chance though,” Chadara said. She raised her gaze and met his eyes. Even though tears clung, she looked as strong as he’d ever seen her. “This may be the only chance I ever have, and I want to take it.”

Nasir leaned forward and kissed her forehead. “As it shall be done. I will write to Dominus now.”

She nodded. “You will be at my side through this?”

Nasir laughed at the thought. “You could do this on your own, better than any of us. As long as I am allowed, I will be as supportive as Valerius wills.”

“Will he harm Auctus?” Pietros asked.

It was a fair question; Valerius was a powerful man. It mattered little though, since Auctus was a _dangerous_ one. 

Nasir smiled as he thought of the long years of Auctus’ service. “In general, men like Valerius do not attempt to push away the men they’ve paid to kill and steal. Before he left, Auctus was offered access to _all_ pleasures in this household; Chadara and myself included.”

Pietros shook his head in confusion. “I thought his tastes were well known.”

Chadara’s laugh suddenly filled the room. Nasir had not realized until then, how much he’d missed and craved that sound.

“What stirs such things?” he asked.

“With the way Romans think of us Greeks, I can only imagine what they will say with the thought of Auctus falling to my charms.” She looked overly pleased with herself as she shook her hair out. “Of course, it is _me_ , we speak of.”

******************

Nasir was careful as he used ever steady hands to commit word to the scraps of papyrus. He learned, with the sting of a rod at his back, to not waste precious ink with shaking fingers and sloppy work. He was struggling to find the most diplomatic way, and in the least words, to phrase Chadara’s current condition. It would take all the skill of his gilded tongue to convince Valerius Auctus had, indeed, taken Chadara to his bed and that the presence of a child was a small concern. He did not fail to mention the cost and bother of lawyers; men Valerius disliked with a passion. The child was of a free-born father, a claim stronger in a legal sense than that of a slave-mother. He poured sand over the page to dry the ink as he read over his work. It would have to do for now. 

Auctus could be called to Rome to answer Valerius’ demands, but Nasir hoped he’d made it clear the benefits of having such a man tied to their household through blood. Certainly a Roman man could understand another wanting a secure house in which to raise his child. He hoped the mentions of seeking a bloodline and family legacy was enough to silence any possible questioning about _why_ Auctus would turn to Chadara. 

If any of them should’ve fell to knees on Auctus’ commands, logic and Roman knowledge of Greeks, would’ve nominated Pietros or Agron. 

Nasir turned his attention to the threshold. Someone was lingering outside, attempting silence and subtlety and failing at both. Any raised a slave would’ve known better. A grin tugged at Nasir’s lips as he wordlessly rose from the desk. He maintained a slow and steady space as he approached the hallway. 

“Fuck the gods,” Agron cursed when Nasir caught him.

“May they never punish such blasphemy,” Nasir replied. “You’re improving, though I doubt we’ll ever be able to claim your movements as delicate.”

“As long as you keep from claiming I snort like a boar,” Agron said.

Nasir felt it best not to remind him that, especially after a long day of Auctus’ lessons, he very much _did_. 

Agron followed him inside the study. He’d never set foot in this part of the house, and Nasir took a moment to bask in the novelty of having him in a space so very much connected to Valerius. There were written scrolls of literary works here worth more than both their prices combined. This was the power seat of Valerius when he took to a rural escape. Agron looked over the letter as it dried and Nasir wondered, not for the first time, just how much of their foreign tongue he could read. It was obvious he knew the basics and he had admitted as such, but Agron had his own secrets. To be fair, their time together had not been spent discussing rhetoric. 

“Have you figured out your traitor yet?” Agron asked. 

“I have some thoughts,” Nasir admitted. “There are a few I would send from the house to assist on the farm and have listed their names for Valerius’ approval.”

“You have such authority to enforce that?”

“I have Auctus’ backing,” Nasir replied. The threat of repercussion from Auctus, from challenging a citizen of Rome, would be enough to keep most in line. No coin was worth the sacrifice of life.

Agron’s brow furrowed in concern. “That will be enough?”

Agron had grown more curious about the ways of Rome with each passing day. Now that weapons training consumed as much time as learning to observe, he had started to see the subtle differences in the slaves’ world. He would always stand apart; those born and raised in freedom, dragged into slavery by war, always did. There was something more there; an almost instinctual judgment about how the villa should be run, or the proper way to organize a defense of the farm if it fell to a raid. Auctus had noticed it as well, and they were both left curious about the man Agron had once been.

“It will be,” Nasir said. He may never learn about Agron’s past; his history was the one thing that solely belonged to him. Nasir understood the need to hold onto it.

Agron shook his head. “You seem truly fucking certain of Valerius’ approval.”

Nasir felt a bit of darkness bleed into his smile. These were battles Agron had never fought, and Nasir was veteran of. He approached Agron with deliberation, leaning into his space in a way that _should_ have been comfortable, yet Nasir knew he made it unfamiliar. Auctus taught with harsh orders, fists, and lessons. Nasir would teach with words and hidden meanings. It was the only way to make sure, even if Nasir was eventually sent from this house, that Agron would survive it all. Well, minus any lapses in judgment due to Agron’s temper. Pietros had already benefited from time among Nasir, Chadara, and the other house slaves. Agron was still a novice to the power plays that had nothing to do with strength of arms.

Nasir noted the surprised confusion in Agron’s eyes when he placed his hands on Agron’s skin, here where any could see. He waited for it to smooth out before he started his explanation. 

“It is a delicate game played between a dominus and the slave he most entrusts. He cannot appear to be so taken by the prowess or,” he laughed as Agron’s eyes dropped to his mouth, “lips of a Syrian _boy_. I have always been trusted in running his household while he is away. His associates would know this, and questions would arise if conflict seemed present. It would be a weakness to admit conflict in the first place. I cannot appear to be wining something when I am a slave with no power; men like Valerius cannot lose. If one of his friends, or even a relative of my possible domina, is the one to intervene in this household, questioning my decisions would show even more a lack of judgment on Valerius’ part. He would appear a fool to pick a slave who cannot find spies among the crowd.”

Agron frowned. “If you are wrong in your suspicions, then you condemn innocent house slaves to the fields.”

Nasir almost laughed at him. None of them worked in this house and remained wholly innocent. “I earned my position through years of service; I do have few friends among the masses, and many would see me brought down. We’ve discussed this before.”

Agron cupped Nasir’s cheek. “I did not think the roots of betrayal went so deep.”

“Did you expect us to be a family? We are like any society where rewards are few and punishments abound. Things turned much worse after the wars; I was but a boy at the time, yet the ramifications of the whole of Rome being turned on its head are still felt. I imagine most in this household could easily be bought to go against me. I react only to protect, myself, Chadara, and now you.”

“I do not need your protection,” Agron said.

Nasir rested his fingers against Agron’s lips. “The fact that you spout such ignorance, shows just how much you _do_.” 

“Yet we can stand thus,” Agron said as he leaned down to speak in Nasir’s ear. 

“Even now other slaves lurk in this hallway, watching us. _This_ , my desire, my body, I am expected to offer to you as I have to all men with such tastes in the past. Valerius well knows the enticement of my thighs and has used them to negotiate more business dealings than I can count. He’s only become more careful in doling me out as I’ve aged.”

“You almost sound proud,” Agron said.

“And so you see how I’ve been taught to speak in a tone which differs from how I feel. How easy was that for you to discern?” Nasir tilted his head and watched the emotions flit through Agron’s eyes. Confusion again, then frustration as he realized Nasir mocked him, a spike of anger, before it cooled to resignation. 

Nasir pressed lips to the scar on his chest as a reward. “You _are_ learning.”

“I do not have the choice, if I wish to keep up with the likes of you and Chadara,” he admitted. His fingers rested on the small of Nasir’s back, teasing there in a way they should not. “There is one thing I would ask of you.”

“Only one?” Nasir frowned. “Perhaps my skills have finally faltered.”

“Never,” Agron laughed. “It is only…Auctus has long been in service to this house.”

Nasir wondered when such questions would come between them. Agron had not gone to accusations just yet, but Nasir almost expected it. 

“What do you seek with your words?” he questioned. He trailed a hand down Agron’s chest and dug his fingers hard into the flesh there, an action born of both pleasure and pain. “What concern would it be of yours to know I laid with him years before you even set foot on Roman soil? Would you begrudge me the joy of having a man who knew what to do with tongue, hand, and cock for once in my life? Do you not consider yourself befitting from such experience?”

Agron’s breath came faster as Nasir taunted him with the words. Nasir felt power in this; in the arrogant cruelty that came to him when he was stuck between Tiberius and Nasir. He was surprised when Agron reacted not with a man given over to lust, but one given over to something far more lethal. Agron removed his hands from Nasir’s back to rest them in his hair.

“Where are you now?” he asked. “ _Who_ are you?”

It would hurt less if Agron had taken sword to his side. “I am everything I’ve been taught to be,” Nasir said. 

“You are a man in need of rest,” Agron insisted. His lips ghosted over Nasir’s forehead. Tenderness, affection, all bled from Agron in ways that terrified Nasir. 

He could understand ruthlessness, blood lust, anything but _this_. Even as he gave himself over to it, the scared part, the one that quoted Roman law in his head and whispered all possible punishments, was silenced by the need to want _more_. 

“Come to bed,” Agron said. 

Nasir shouldn’t. He needed to send Agron off to his own pallet so they could remember that nights together were a luxury and not a right; he had said as much to Agron in this past few weeks. 

He knew it was a battle of words and touch that he was going to fantastically lose.


	7. Interlude

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is a little different. We're about to have a time jump in the fic, so this interlude will cover Agron's pov during certain scenes in the previous chapter, through the events before the next chapter. There will also be a Chadara side-story. You'll see why. ;)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks to gaygreekgladiator for giving this a read through for coherency. All mistakes are mine.

One little frayed strip of red cloth. That was all Agron owned in this new world. Freedom had been ripped from him, and even the use of his own fucking name was considered a _gift_ from his new master. 

Now they’d taken the cloth away too. Agron wanted to fight, the last remnants of his spirit still lurking in his broken heart, as the tiny slave with the dark eyes stripped him down. He wouldn’t react; he wouldn’t give them that sort of satisfaction. He didn’t want the pity he saw pass from the eyes of the small man to the golden-haired woman who helped to rid Agron of grime, dirt, and every last thing that made him a son of his clan. They could never take his memories though; he would pull strength and whisper the names of his family like a prayer only for his ears. 

He thought of Duro, of the sound of his voice, choked with blood and pain, forcing out Agron’s name. That final sound would keep the fire burning in Agron’s heart, would let him remember who he was, where he came from, even among these people determined to force him into something else. 

He would not think of the soft, long hair that had teased with its dark locks against his skin, or the smaller hands that had carefully worked the grime from all the crevices of Agron’s body. He would not dwell on the pouting lips that frowned at him as they insisted he take a blanket for the cool of the night. He would not fall for the certain trap of such enticements. He could see the wolf among the sheep. 

******************

Agron still felt the burn of Tiberius’ hands on his skin, where they had tugged under his collar and pulled him forward this morning. It intrigued him to see those hands now delicately wield a fruit knife to prepare his master’s meal rather than his death. Agron could not understand how a man, so obviously full of passion, could so easily accept the collar around his neck. Those same strong, yet soft, fingers remained still even as Valerius’ teeth bit at his skin, marked him in the same way as earring, mark, and collar, even though the eyes looked as dead as Agron felt.

Tiberius’ harsh words from that morning rung in his ears, reminded him of the cost. Could Agron live with being the cause of punishment or death for all the others in this house? It was obedience forced by guilt. As Tiberius flinched under the rough handling of Valerius, Agron realized it was a more powerful tool than any whip. 

Agron could not imagine staying so restrained and resigned. He once thought slaves half-alive creatures, from the ones he spied passed through his clans and in Gaul territory. Surely some were, completely given up on where life had brought them. There was more to them though; a whole hidden world of special signals and knowing looks. If he was to survive even with his shame, to ever return to their kin with remembrance of Duro for the gods, he would need to find allies. 

Tiberius clearly held the highest position among them. Just this morning he’d seen half the kitchen staff cower under the unpleased stare of a man barely out of boyhood. Duro was the one who always told him to seek friends. Agron had always said there would only be enemies among the strangers. Tiberius felt a bit of both.

************************

Auctus has the swiftness of a fox and the power of a boar. Each fall to the ground infuriated Agron, forever the young boy trying to prove himself among the warriors, yet he admitted a grudging respect for the Greek’s skill. Auctus fought dirty, using tactics no noble warrior would teach. Agron had called him out on such.

Auctus shrugged as he passed the water jug to Agron. “I teach you how to live. The men you may fight, you will not know them, and you cannot anticipate they will show any honor. There is a certain strength in attempting to see the good in all, but you and I? Agron, we are men who cannot afford such a luxury. Especially not in this house.”

“A house of slaves?” Agron questioned. He winced as the muscles in his back twitched. “Aside from Nonus and Decimus, what is there to fear?”

“Nasir, Chadara, and Camilla could all poison you in seconds. Camilla is especially trained at creeping up behind others and slitting their throats. She has more kills than some gladiators I’ve met.”

Agron choked on his drink. Auctus patted his back. “There is value in having hidden vipers, and Valerius, like his father before him, has always known that. There is great deliberation undertaken for those allowed to stay in this house. Most of them _are_ your typical house slaves. Those close to Valerius are a completely different sort.”

“Why do you tell me this?” Agron asked.

“Because you are a man who still thinks of himself as free,” Auctus said. He patted Agron’s shoulder. “It is a trait reminiscent of a man I once loved.” He walked back onto the sands and motioned at Agron to attack. “Shall we begin?”

**********************

Each new day Agron wondered if he would find Nasir or Tiberius in the man before him. He truly didn’t care for Tiberius, who followed orders without question, and lacked a sense of authenticity. Tiberius was _too_ perfect in word and manner. Nasir was different; he was alive; he was biting words told with dark humor and a quick temper. He was light in the darkness. He was potential, a tempting one, hidden behind a mask of Roman propriety. 

They were both demanding in a way that made Agron’s blood rush and left him confused. He’d shared one intimate kiss with Nasir in the night, and the next day found Tiberius demanding he help move some storage trunks about, only to find Nasir again in the lips that covered his own in the hidden corners of alcoves. It left Agron floundering in an already uncertain world. The others were of no aid; he did not dare approach Pietros who wore his broken heart like armor. Chadara and Auctus laughed at him too often, and he already took enough abuse from both. He did not know if Nonus stood aware of things between Agron and Nasir, but he did openly wink at Agron this afternoon. 

It helped to know Nasir stood as uncertain as him. Whatever this was unfolding between them, they’d have to map the course on their own. Agron doubted it would be an easy task. He had never truly favored adventure; family and home were enough. He had little choice of it now.

******************

Few things felt better than holding a sword in his hands. He had missed the weight. His hands had almost grown soft from its absence. Agron admired the craftsmanship of the weapon, even if it was made of wood. It was better than fighting off Auctus with his fists. Agron wondered if his ribs would ever recover.

Pietros was not the gentle teacher Agron assumed from his manner. He quickly hit Agron every time he left his flank open. 

“You are a pretty face with a painful sting,” Agron huffed as he grabbed his abused side.

Pietros frowned at him. “You should learn to watch your tongue.” He turned to Auctus. “Your turn.”

Auctus nodded as Pietros wandered into the house. Agron shook his head. “What have I done to cause offense _now_?”

“Beauty is a curse to men like Nasir, like Pietros, like so many others,” Auctus said. “It saves them from lives in the mines or on the farms, but it brings its own cost. Once they’re freed, many have no skills. They are even considered too old for the whorehouses at that time, with beards sprouting on their faces. I am certain Pietros recalls every insult and threat every made his way because he is a, how did you put it, _pretty face with a painful sting_.”

“I should apologize to him,” Agron guessed.

Auctus nodded. “You should.” He raised his weapon and attacked. 

Agron stumbled as he absorbed the shock of the hit and defended himself, meeting each blow with his shield. He was learning to defend, rather than attack. It felt unnatural at first, to take it like this, rather than fight back. He was to learn to _protect_ now. It was wholly different trying to save a life in close quarters rather than fighting in the dirt out in the wild.

“Nasir does not believe Valerius will ever free him,” Agron said when they broke for a rest.

“Valerius may not have a choice. When he marries, it will have to be an influential match. The family, the perpetuation of the line, is of upmost importance. Why do you think Valerius still lingers inside Rome’s walls? There are times when _reputation_ is worth far more than even coin.” 

Agron laughed. “Does his suffer so badly?”

Auctus leveled him with a long stare. “If you saw a man with Tiberius in constant attendance, knowing he was not castrated due to the offering of his services, what assumption would you make?”

That caught Agron’s attention. “What services are offered?” he demanded.

Auctus shook his head. “Sad foolish fucks in love,” he muttered. 

 

********************

There were tests Agron had to pass as a youth to be considered a man by his clan. None of them had ever been as convoluted as the world he now struggled through. He could love Nasir, because even the gods could not outlaw the heart’s desire, but he could not show it, or expect constant companionship, or even show anger when other men would use Nasir as they saw fit. He could not insult certain slaves viewed above him; he could not argue with free men who were not citizens, nor those who were _actual_ citizens. All free men were not Romans by law. Agron ended most of his nights, absent Nasir’s presence at his side, with ribs and head throbbing at all the lessons. 

Tonight, though, he had an exhausted Nasir at his side. He’d found him earlier, in the study, writing a letter to Valerius, and half lost to his own madness. Nonus had explained just how much the presence of Agron, Auctus, and Pietros had changed their normal routine. It must’ve set Nasir more on edge than any of them realized, especially with Chadara’s new situation, and added worries about others in the house.

It all felt like far too much. Nasir had to be around Duro’s age, if not younger. Pietros suspected they were near the same in years, though he noted their responsibilities differed greatly. Nasir was carrying the duties of slaves over a decade his senior. Nonus said this past month was the most relaxed Nasir had been since he was promoted to his current position. 

That seemed to be a problem. Nasir, who should know afternoons lazing about in sweet grass under a warm sun, did not know how to be idle. Even when he shared rare moments with Agron, his hands were constantly moving; eyes darting about to follow the rapid thoughts flying through his mind. 

Perhaps Agron _did_ need Nasir’s protection to get through this world, but that didn’t mean Nasir didn’t need his just as much. He needed more laughter in life, and joy, and true rest. 

********************

“Wake up, you fools,” Nonus hissed. 

Agron blinked in the dark light of Nasir’s room. It was too dark to be near dawn. Nasir made a completely undignified whining snort as he tucked himself into the curve of Agron’s elbow.

“Nonus, it is not even near morning yet,” Nasir said. “If the goats have escaped again, I commend them on their tenacity and wish them well on their drive to freedom.”

“Tiberius!” Nonus barked.

Nasir immediately sat up, hands digging painfully into Agron’s chest, as he glared at his friend. “You have _no_ right to speak to me so.”

“I do when you are acting like an idiot,” Nonus said. “Camilla sent word in advance. Valerius returns with the dawn.”

Nasir hissed as he slid out of the bed. His hands immediately went to tie back his hair. He left it loose around Agron, but now, it fell to perfect form just as Nasir became Tiberius. 

“Does your skin hold any evidence of affection?” Nonus asked.

Nasir shook his head. “We remain careful.” He sighed. “I knew he would react to news of Chadara, but I did not think it would prompt his return.”

“I do not think it a long stay,” Nonus said. “Camilla only made mention of herself and Decimus. I have already woken Auctus.”

“Valerius would expect his bed to be ready before he arrived,” Nasir said. He slipped on his breeches and ran a hand over his face. “Ask Valentina to prepare a plate and some wine. See Tertius ready to wash Valerius’ feet when he enters. Wake Chadara and send her to my side; have Pietros move the few items she has in his room to Auctus’. Agron, you will stand guard _outside_ of Valerius’ rooms.”

Nonus nodded and left without questioning command. Agron did not feel so accepting of them. “If he ordered you to seek my bed, why must I act like I see you as nothing but something to fuck?”

“Because any sort of passing affection is a luxury we cannot afford,” Nasir said. 

Agron shook his head in disgust. “So my heart, like my name, is a _gift_ my dominus hands out?”

Nasir had no answer except the fingers he used to brush across Agron’s wrist before he disappeared. 

*******************

It was a testament to the amount of discipline Auctus had forced into him that Agron kept his face still as stone as he stood guard outside Valerius’ rooms. He was being vocal in his praise of Nasir’s skills, and Agron could recognize the sound of a hard fuck. Nasir was silent. 

Chadara stood with Agron, forced from Valerius’ bed as a supposed punishment, and waited with wine for when he finished. She kept her eyes trained to Agron, sympathetic twitches to her small smiles, as she studied him.

“He has done worst in the past,” Chadara said low. “This is punishment for Nasir’s failure.”

“In what? Not controlling the way of everyone’s lives?” Agron asked. He didn’t know how he kept himself from going in there and choking the life out of Valerius. Perhaps it was the realization that one slave was being punished for a whole house. Or that Chadara, just starting to show the signs of her condition, stood before him with her emotions in check, knowing her friend was being punished for _her_ crime. Perhaps it was even knowing that there were actual guards in this house, professional soldiers paid by Roman coin, who would see them all dead. 

Or even more, that if Nasir truly wished Valerius’ death, he would use his own hands to see it done. 

It was still too much to ask, to stand here and do nothing, but Agron had finally learned. This was a final test. He could pass it now, make Valerius think him fallen in line like a beaten pup, and he could wait. Even if he was not the one to rip the life from Valerius, he _would_ be there to witness it. 

“Do not think of it,” Chadara said. “Do not dwell on what you cannot change.”

“This is not right,” Agron said.

“Words uttered by all born in freedom,” Chadara said. “We have never known anything different.”

They both fell silent as Valerius finished. Chadara passed by him and faked a trip under the watchful eyes of the guards at the other end of the hall. Agron caught her; in the confusion she slipped a small vial into his hands.

“He will need the ointment,” she murmured. 

Agron nodded and slipped it into the padded fabric of the wrist cuffs Auctus has purchased for him. 

“Agron,” Valerius called. “Come forth! I would see what Auctus has done when not taking my whore of a slave-girl to his bed.”

Agron watched Chadara’s jaw clench in fury even as she held her head high. So much was hidden from eyes they knew cared not to search in the shadows for true expression. He dutifully followed Chadara, glancing at the bruises and scratches on Nasir’s skin out of the corner of his eye. Nasir said nothing, just held out Valerius’ cup to be filled by Chadara. 

Agron took his place in the center of the room, standing in the stance Auctus taught him, one gladiators apparently used when forced on display for the pleasure of the wealthy. He was allowed to have his head raised for this one; Valerius would find others ways to make him feel less of a man.

“I see Auctus has at least kept his duty in this,” Valerius said. He motioned his hand for Agron to turn. “Perhaps I can forgive him for filling my slave with his seed if he helped sculpt such a body. If only I had more time to linger for demonstration of _all_ you’ve been taught in my absence. Rome forever calls.” He snapped his fingers and Agron turned to face him again. “Escort Tiberius to his pallet and make sure our newest guards don’t attempt liberties. I expect to find you still at your post when I depart come dawn.”

“Yes, Dominus,” Agron said, the title an unfamiliar sound on his tongue. 

They were silent on the small walk to where Nasir slept. Nasir walked slower than usual, an effort to hide any injury among the jackals who watched them. It was only inside the tiny walls that gave them an illusion of privacy that he allowed his exhaustion to show. 

“Kaveh,” Nasir murmured as they entered the alcove of his room. He quickly grabbed Agron’s face, and pulled him in for a deep, searching kiss that stole his breath. He rested his forehead against Agron’s own when they parted; a moment of indulgence to balm the pain. “My brother’s name was Kaveh,” he explained. There were tears in his eyes as he dropped his head. “I’ve never spoken his name to another living soul. It is something I give to you that he will never own. It is something I know you’d want, while he would never care.”

“Nasir,” Agron whispered, the only comfort he could give with so many strangers lurking about.

“You must take your position,” Nasir said. His fingers gripped the back of Agron’s neck. “The guards will report if you’ve strayed from your duty. I fear a long night ahead for you.”

“I’ve taken a night watch before, in far less pleasant conditions,” he said. He passed the vial from Chadara. “A gift from a friend.”

Nasir smiled. “Keep it hidden for now,” he said. “I will be tempted to use it tonight, when I will need it more once he departs.” Nasir stepped back, resumed the downturned expression of Tiberius, and gingerly lowered himself to his bed. He looked at Agron and frowned. “You must go.”

“You are in pain,” Agron said.

Nasir shrugged. “I’ve had much worse over the years. His jealousy always manifested itself with harsh possession. It has been many months since he took me so roughly, but this is manageable.”

Agron crouched down and held onto Nasir’s hands, rubbing his fingers over the bruises on those wrists. “It should not be so. It _will_ not be.”

Nasir smiled and tugged his right hand free. He ran the back of his fingers down Agron’s face. “You still hold on to some dreams. It warms my heart.”

 

********************

The days and nights resumed their steady and pleasant pace once Valerius returned to Rome. He seemed pleased with things as he departed, even congratulating Auctus on having an heir so tied to this house. The slaves Nasir had banished to the fields hadn’t been re-instated. Life was almost normal again, even if Agron now found himself stuck often between anger and resignation. There were few around him who understood his place; most had been either born slaves or forced into it while still young. Agron had to confide in the only man who ever stood where he did now.

“How old were you when you became a slave?” Agron asked. 

“Ten and four years,” Auctus said as he circled around Agron. He moved to attack, and smiled when Agron successfully blocked it. “That was considered a man in some parts of Greece. I’d already fought in skirmishes by then. I was captured for the express purpose of becoming a gladiator.”

“And you took well to that position?” Agron asked.

Auctus nodded. “I could’ve ended in the fighting pits or the mines. There is glory in the arenas, and the spectacle helps secure that which all men seek.”

“Which is?” Agron asked. He laughed in victory when he landed a blow only to have a sharp sword knocked against the back of his knees. 

“Immortality,” Auctus answered. “A thing even most free man and citizens cannot gain.”

“Do you miss it?” Agron asked. He felt a trickle on his tongue and smirked at the blood there. Nasir and Chadara would have _words_ with Auctus later. 

Auctus shrugged. “I do not think I’ll ever quite forget the roar of crowd. It's an addiction whose screams follow you as you seek other thrills. The strange thing is that my life was far more relaxed in the ludus. I’ve taken the wanderer’s path since, and it often finds me in dire straits. Still, I would not undo all that has passed. I hold some faith in the reason for it all, even if I do not understand it.”

“Are you two quite finished?” Chadara asked. She stood between Pietros and Nasir, and looked ready to murder them both. “All I wish for is a quiet nap, especially now that the house has been emptied of gossiping idiots who have gone to town with their coin. I have to listen to the grunts and groans of you two echoing through the stone halls, and while normally I would find such sounds pleasant, they are ruining my calm.”

Auctus bowed. “We are done.”

“You so simply obey her commands?” Agron asked.

Auctus smiled and patted Agron’s cheek. “Gods save you, Agron.”

Nasir and Auctus grasped arms when they passed each other, before Auctus disappeared with Chadara and Pietros inside the walls.

“I feel very confused,” Agron admitted as Nasir started to untie the protective cloth and padding wrapped on Agron’s arm. “Why is the house empty?”

“Because winter has faded, and spring is upon us. Festival season and religious observances, much like what you saw during Saturnalia, means slaves are relieved of most of their duties. It’s not a complete holiday like some others, but they have the night to celebrate.” 

“I did notice the days feel warmer and longer,” Agron said. He had not thought much of the passing of winter, that it would soon be a year since Duro fell, and Agron found himself here. Summer would bring the anniversary of such things, and the months-long return of Valerius. Agron did not look forward to those days, especially if the gods were cruel towards Chadara and the babe she carried. 

“And do we go to drink?” Agron asked.

“No,” Nasir said. He nuzzled the skin of Agron’s throat and nipped at the underside of his chin. “We go to savor time.”

The sky had gone dark when Agron was able to think again. The sweat cooled on his back as he buried his face into the soft cloth of Nasir’s bed linens. They were of a better quality than the other slaves’, a gift from Valerius and a sign of his position. Months ago it would be enough to make Agron sneer, but now, understanding more of the complicated workings of this world, he made no comment. His mind was more on Nasir’s fingers. He pressed them between Agron’s shoulder blades and drew patterns there in the skin. The lines formed something that only Nasir could see.

“What do you seek?” Agron asked.

“Wings,” Nasir teased. “Yet I pray to the gods you do not fly too high or too low.”

“You speak in riddles,” Agron said. He jumped in surprise when warm tongue met cooling skin. “Do not seek to distract me so. Why wings?”

Nasir’s fingers moved to massage Agron’s scalp. “Tales from other lands for another time. You should sleep.”

“I thought we were savoring time?” Agron asked.

Nasir slid down beside him. “We are. You should sleep beside me.”

Agron grinned at Nasir’s soft smile, barely visible in the flickering light of the oil lamp. 

******************

Neapolis had brought out the monster that lurked inside Agron at all times, snapping at, and breaking, the threads of restraint that kept him from madness. He had too many memories of this shithole, and the smell of rotting fish and rotting men did little to cool his fury. Valerius had returned for a brief city break and, having finally been impressed with Agron’s skill, sent him to Neapolis with Auctus to collect a package. 

Agron hadn’t liked leaving Nasir alone, absent Agron or Auctus to intervene if things should go wrong with Chadara. Nonus had sworn to protect them all, but it had done little to soothe Agron’s worries. One badly timed taunt about his rough accent speaking the Romans’ tongue, and Agron had started a brawl. It was a gift that Auctus remained highly amused by it all.

“You would’ve been better suited to the arena,” Auctus said as they sat in a tavern. He passed a rag over to Agron to clean the blood from his face. “Though both Ulpius and Oenomaus would’ve personally whipped your back raw.”

“Are you implying I’m a difficult student?”

“Implying? No. Clearly fucking stating? Yes.”

Agron couldn’t argue so he just drank the cheap wine before him, and took a good look around the tavern. It wasn’t the place where respectable Romans would linger. Auctus brought them here with a purpose.

“What are you up to, Greek?” he asked.

Auctus smirked. “Not nearly as stupid as you look. An old friend is coming in with the tide.”

Agron scoffed. “What is he a ship?”

Auctus almost choked on his wine as he shoved his cup to the side. “There are many who have sailed on him,” he said between a series of low laughs. “Oh, gods, you two will either hate each other or be the closest of friends.”

Agron had as much said to him often in life. He was confrontational by nature, and suspicious, but there had been little need for other friends with beloved brother at his side. Duro had always sought the other companions. He was happy to stay at home, but he always loved a good tale or to witness different traditions. The nose ring had been the first in a long line of Duro’s own particular embrace of other clans and cultures. 

The tavern filled with a cheer as the door open and a traveler step inside, large ornamental cloak over his shoulder.

“Castus,” Auctus called. “Stop preening to the crowd and come sit.”

“What are you planning?” Agron whispered. 

“Never hurts to have friends who can aid when you need to run,” Auctus said. His face was blank as he patted Agron’s forearm, but the message was received. 

Agron wasn’t the only one with plans for Valerius in the future. 

 

******************

A year, one full year since the date of his purchase, and Agron was not spending it in restful contemplation, but in paralyzing fear. He’d always avoided the birthing huts of their clan, even with his mother as one of the most revered midwives. Agron had always found a reason to be elsewhere, but now the childbirth had come to him. Or rather, Chadara needed to rest on the way to the field slave’s huts where the medicus dwelt, and had decided Agron’s pallet was the best place to catch her breath. 

That was an hour ago, being nearly a day since she first complained of some pains. Now Agron was clinging to the threshold of his room, and seeing far more of Chadara than he ever desired.

“Where is the midwife?” Chadara demanded. She tilted her head back into Nasir’s hands and frowned up at him. “She is supposed to be here by now.”

“Valentina and Nonus seek her in the city,” Nasir soothed.

“I will not have my child delivered into the grubby hands of fucking Agron,” Chadara said.

Agron would’ve protested if he had any desire to deliver said child.

“Oh, Agron wouldn’t be so bad,” Pietros said. “With hands as large as his own, he’d be the best one to catch.”

“Catch? Catch what?” Agron asked.

“The fucking child,” Nasir hissed. He flinched as Chadara pinched him. “Why?”

“You are supposed to be solemnly praying to Artemis for me,” Chadara said.

“Pinch me again, and you’ll be praying to Diana yourself,” Nasir said. He lifted his head and looked at Pietros and Agron. “The eldest of us looks ready to faint,” he said. “Pietros go and find the others. If nothing else, get Auctus to intimidate the medicus enough to appear. I don’t care if he claims childbirth isn’t his duty, I will _not_ be delivering this child on our best guesses.”

Pietros nodded and was halfway down the hall before Agron could react. “Why does he get to leave?”

“Because he can run faster and doesn’t look about to be sick,” Nasir said. 

Chadara’s snort was not appreciated, but at least she sounded amused. 

“What do you need me to do?” Agron asked. He had to offer, since it was clear that if Nasir stepped away from Chadara, the gods’ fury would be unleashed on them all. 

“I need you to get us a bowl of water, a clean knife, and something for swaddling if the gods choose to laugh at us today,” Nasir said, voice steady and kind.

Agron’s hands trembled as he walked through the house gathering supplies. He knew Nasir kept a dagger hidden in a hollow beam in his room; but Auctus’ quarters would yield sharper results. Water jugs were easily filled, though his hands were too full to snatch any linen from the stores. The whole house echoed with the low whispers of gossip. He paused when he saw a group of the older kitchen slaves gathered in a circle of prayer.

“They pray to Artemis to ease the pain of childbirth,” Auctus said. He quickly grabbed the water jugs before Agron could drop them. “I see you have not passed _all_ the tests. Such innocent young men, so easily spooked by a woman in labor.”

“Did you find the midwife?” Agron asked.

Auctus nodded. “Nonus and Valentina return with her now. Pietros is personally dragging the medicus up from the fields.” He tugged the knife out of Agron’s hand and placed a different one there. “My child, be it from blood or bond, will come into this world under a Grecian blade, not a Roman one.”

“Understood,” Agron said. He started to walk off, but Auctus stayed behind. “Aren’t you coming?”

“They’re praying in the tongue of my people,” Auctus said. “I’d like to linger for a moment longer.”

Agron thought of what it felt like to be around the chanted sounds of the words he heard from his own birth. He would linger for a while as well. 

“Midwife is on her way,” Agron said as he carefully placed the supplies by the bed. The last thing he needed was the bit of fabric. He went to the small set of shelves that held his cloak and few bits and pieces of clothing acquired over the year from purchase and gifts. He pulled a blanket from the bottom, the first _true_ gift received in this home. 

“Lucia gave that to Nasir a lifetime ago,” Chadara panted out through her breaths.

“And a slave somewhere between Tiberius and Nasir gave it to me a year ago,” Agron said. “A gift of true kindness should be wrapped around your child as it comes into this world.”

Chadara reached up and patted Nasir’s cheek. “You could’ve chosen much worse. I’m glad you waited for this one, even if he has the manners of a wild boar.” Tears leaked from her eyes. “Oh gods, don’t let me make myself laugh.”

 

************************

The babe’s name was Elpis, and she had the lungs of her mother. Chadara had let Auctus name her. The word meant _hope_ in the tongue of the Greeks. The slaves of the house tried to go about their normal duties; all paused to visit the newest of their fold. Agron had finally persuaded Nasir to leave Chadara’s room. There were circles under his eyes, and he’d begun to tip to the side, barely able to stand. 

“It has been a long three days,” Agron said. He guided Nasir to his bed. “You need to sleep.”

“Not yet,” Nasir said as he stood up. “There is something I forgot until you pulled out that blanket.” He pushed aside one of the wall hangings to reveal a tiny wooden shelf attached to the wall. Nasir pulled something down and hurried back to Agron. “I did not mean to hold onto this so for so long,” he said. “Apologies for keeping it from you. It was not my intention.”

The fabric was rough, though clean, and one Agron had not seen in a long time. He turned it over and his breath halted as he found the frayed strip of red cloth protected on the inside, still as bright as the time Agron had sewn it in there with nothing but gut and a bone needle in his hands. The last piece of Duro’s war cloak. They had both cut off a piece and handed it to the other before they fought. Red was the color of their family. Duro had worn his wrapped around his earning, to remind him of his brother’s warnings. Agron had worn his tied to his wrist, to remind him there was something precious worth fighting for. 

“I thought it was burned,” Agron said. He reached out and pulled Nasir close. “How could you know?”

“I didn’t,” Nasir confessed. “I just saw that it was different from the rest of the cloth. There was importance there. Any observant slave would see.”

“Yet not care, especially about a stranger,” Agron said. He kissed Nasir’s forehead. “Gratitude. Now, sleep.”

“Always so stubborn,” Nasir said. 

“Have to be with you,” Agron insisted. He playfully shoved Nasir. “Sleep.”

“You don’t join me?” Nasir frowned. “We have so few nights left.”

Valerius would return within a fortnight; it was easy to forget the shit’s return with all that had occurred. Agron wanted to check the perimeter one more time, see Chadara, make sure Pietros had finally ate something, discuss plans with Auctus, but Nasir had already started to drift off. 

Agron looked to the cloth still clutched in his hands. He did not think Duro would curse him for taking comfort in those arms, and of the family he found. Duro had always teased him about being left to walk the world alone, since none would be foolish enough to have Agron. Apparently only a villa of half-mad slaves could accept him. He folded up the precious cloth and built a nest of his clothes around it. He slipped behind Nasir and leaned down to meet his lips in a sleepy kiss.

“Good to see you found reason,” Nasir murmured.

Agron softly laughed, lips teasing the bare skin of Nasir’s shoulders, and tried to clear his mind. He hoped wherever Duro had landed in the Afterlife, it was happy, and full of friends and laughter. Agron would see him again. The grief, the anger, it would never go away, but some days, like today, the past week, the first time he heard Pietros truly laugh, landed a blow on Auctus, outwitted Chadara; the first time he shared touch and breath with Nasir, those days helped ease it all.


	8. Seven

Elpis had the dark eyes of her birth father, but a head full of Chadara’s golden locks. She was four months in this world, and still so tiny and delicate. Pietros had declared himself her guardian, a position even Valerius could not deny, when he had no true control over Pietros’ fate. Auctus was more often absent than present of late; Nasir knew there were schemes and plans running around behind his back. Agron said nothing, either to protect Nasir, Chadara, and Elpis, or to make certain the plans would come to fruition. It would’ve, and should’ve, bothered Nasir more, but his days were filled with his duties, and nights ordered at Valerius’ side. 

Nasir had never wished for a summer to pass so quickly; with the changing seasons, Valerius would return to Rome. Nasir had tasted a little bit of what it meant to love as an almost free man; he had to forget it all now as Tiberius. Still, the whispering taunts of love without fear came to him at night, latched into the deepest pockets of his mind, and stayed there to trickle out whenever Nasir allowed himself a moment to think. 

He knew this was all dangerous from the start, yet he could not bring himself to regret any of it. Nasir had felt more alive in the past year than he had in the past decade. Where once the mask of Tiberius had been all he had to get him through the trials of Valerius’ affections, now Nasir had good memories to help ease the burden. Tiberius’ mask was still firmly on his face, but it didn’t feel as much of a herculean task to become Nasir when he was permitted to his own time. 

The additional guards Valerius brought in the spring were again stationed in the house. There was a larger number of them this time, and Nasir had heard talk in the small local forum of similar presence in other houses. It was always a group of professional soldiers, stationed at the rustic villas of the wealthy Romans. Rumor claimed cause was the numerous deaths and disappearances of privileged and influential Roman citizens over the past year. Their safety was always a concern, with worry about another civil war, or a slave revolt in Sicily again, always on the horizon, but it felt like a more tangible worry this time. Nasir had to wonder just what was happening far outside the boundaries of their village. Thoughts were easily dashed though, when Agron returned carrying bushels of food for the kitchens, absent Valerius.

“Did you push him off a cliff,” Nasir teased in a low voice. He shouldn’t have done such, it would tempt the wrath of the gods, for any slave to suggest such, but he had been absent Agron’s touch, taste, and scent for three days now. 

“I will take that,” Camilla said as she relived Agron of his burden. Agron frowned after her as she carried it with much more ease than he had.

“She has had more experience,” Nasir explained. Discipline was the only thing that kept him from reaching out to to touch. He gestured for Agron to follow him as they walked the familiar path to Auctus’ room. “I assume Nonus stays with Valerius?”

Agron nodded, eyes subtly darting to take stock of the guards near the front of the house. “He sent me and Camilla back while he decided to linger for meal and drink with a visiting friend. Camilla seeks a special meal preparation for dinner in case we have company.”

“Hmm,” Nasir said, as if it carried any true interest. He had established a system long ago for quick, but decadent, meals in case of sudden guests. They brushed arms as they turned the corner and Nasir grabbed Agron’s hand, guiding him into one of the unused rooms.

“The guards?” Agron asked.

“They stay far from these quarters ever since Pietros and Auctus both threatened to relieve them of their cocks. I do not think they took Pietros seriously until your practice demonstration the other day.” Nasir pushed up on to his tip-toes to savor the first warm touch of Agron’s lips. 

“They will piss themselves if they ever see you wielding the spear. Auctus praises you as his best student,” Agron said. His hands were gentle as they brushed through Nasir’s hair, cherishing intent in each pass of fingers. 

“As any would after you,” he laughed into Agron’s mouth. He closed his eyes and breathed in the scent of the man before him, committing it to memory for the weeks to come.

*********************

There was a bite mark on Nasir’s shoulder, one that still throbbed in pain, delivered by a mouth he would’ve gladly sliced apart if the punishment would only be his death. Nasir had enjoyed Valerius’ company once, when he was still innocent. He was never naïve enough to believe that he would remain untouched, young boys complimented on their beauty never did. Nasir, who had spent most of his life as Tiberius, and a loyal slave, felt Agron’s influence rooted deep in his soul now. Agron was absent, gone on some mission ordered by Valerius, who now seemed to enjoy sending his pet German barbarian out to threaten and beat those who would not eagerly give over coin or other payment. Nasir himself had cleaned blood from Agron’s hands and face that had not come from Agron’s body. The memory of it darkened Nasir’s mind.

There were many aspects of life as a slave that Nasir had stoically accepted for years, with little acknowledgement or complaint outside of hushed whispers with Chadara. That was all before he could feel the veritable tightening of Valerius’ control on Nasir’s collar. The leather had actually started to bite into his skin, from where Valerius had tugged the other morning, pulling Nasir into the study as if he was a misbehaving child. Nasir had actual bit the inside of his cheek until he felt blood to keep the curses spilling from his mouth. He knew, eventually, like all slaves of high position based off sharing the bed of their owner, that he would have his fall from grace; he just hadn’t expected it so very soon. 

Valerius had finally fallen to sleep full of wine, food, and sex, after a night of self-indulgence. Nasir had been granted the gift of sleeping in his own bed, instead of on Valerius’ floor this night; though he knew the new guards had been informed to watch his movements. Fury still burned too hot in Nasir’s belly for rest, so he decided to remedy such things with a respite among friends.

“You do not sleep like a dog at his master’s feet?” Pietros asked when Nasir entered his room. 

Nasir lightly punched his shoulder. “Do not test me, Pietros. It’s been a long day of dealing with his ever fouling temper. I’ve earned the right to watch Elpis’ sleep for a moment.”

“Hopefully she won’t repeat the same incident from last night,” Chadara said. “I’ve forgot how much of a mess a babe can make.” She looked tired, but delightfully happy. There was a pride in her words and smile as she caressed Elpis’ hair. 

“Auctus speaks of raising her as free,” Pietros said. “I think that’s a lofty goal even he will fail to reach.”

“Such to be expected for a man of Thebes, forever showing his own hubris even as he knows how the gods like to punish it,” Chadara said. 

The old joke did not bring the same joy it once had. They all knew the stories of Auctus’ battles, and if training was enough to show deadly precision, Nasir could only imagine how fierce he became with the intent to harm, rather than teach.

“I do not want any hands placed upon Elpis that she does not welcome first,” Chadara said.

Nasir kissed her forehead, soothing down the unkempt curls of her hair. “Auctus will not allow any harm to come to a child he claims his own, not with breath still in his body.”

“He was considered a god of the arena when he fought,” Pietros agreed. “I saw him once, in the old arena, when I was but a boy. I was there to fetch water for my master, my first taste of the world beyond the walls of our home. All I remember is thinking Auctus could fly, so often were his feet off the ground as he attacked.” He shook his head. “The children we once were would not believe the things we have become, and what it took to make us so.”

The words resonated in Nasir’s heart. He looked down at Elpis, at the still unblemished skin, and the peaceful way she slept without any concern for the demand of her time.

“She will live free,” Nasir swore to any god who decided to take pity and listen.

*********************

There were certain Romans whose very names made even men like Valerius bow and scrape for approval. When the wealthiest man in Rome requested presence, and that of retired gladiator in the house’ service, to attempt discovery of lost cousin, Valerius and Auctus had no choice but to answer.

“Even free, we all have masters to answer,” Auctus had said as they departed. 

“They left in quite a hurry,” Agron observed as they sorted through the mess left behind in the villa. 

“When Marcus Crassus demands audience, only the fools fail to respond in quick manner,” Chadara said. 

Pietros nodded in agreement. “He is not a man you want as enemy; I am certain he’s eyed the land of this villa and thought to add it to his own estates.” 

“On more than one occasion,” Nasir agreed. He shuddered as he remembered the terrifying moments of trying to prepare the house for such a guest. Few visits had been so trying; from the displeased looks on the faces of Crassus and his wife, to the constant complaints of the mouthy brats called his children, even Valerius was eager to see them depart. Situation may now be reversed, but he doubted the slaves under Crassus held even an iota of concern for Valerius and Auctus’ comfort. 

Nasir shooed Chadara away from the linens she was attempting to fold. “He is gone; take this opportunity to enjoy time with Elpis absent the poison that pours from his tongue.”

“You are certain?” Chadara asked, even as her eyes darted to the room where Nonus watched the babe.

“Go,” Nasir said. “I can handle this task on my own, and Agron is here to help. Pietros, you should take time both away from this task and any involving child-rearing. Take a walk, or a nap, or practice with the swords.”

“Do your order me?” Pietros asked. There was a genuine smile on his face as he regarded Nasir. “Auctus was correct; even free, we all have masters to answer to.”

“Go!” Nasir ordered them. He heard laughter and turned to Agron with narrowed eyes. “Do I amuse you, barbarian?”

“Always,” Agron said. He held his hands out to Nasir. “Do not pout so.”

“ _I_ do not pout,” Nasir said as he slid into the comfort of Agron’s strong embrace. “You are the one who looks as if everything in this world displeases him.”

“Save you, and few others, it does displease me,” Agron said. His lips brushed Nasir’s forehead as his hands held tight. “Though it is more than enough to balance the scales.”

“Is that why you seek to plot with Auctus?” Nasir asked. He offered such a question at least once a week, even when he never expected an answer.

“For your safety it is best you do not know,” Agron answered. “I will tell you that it involves a man who knows the ways of the sea.”

“Pirates,” Nasir guessed. “They deal in slaves and you would make ally of them?”

“A single man is all we speak of, not a whole fleet,” Agron argued. His fingers trailed down Nasir’s back. “Put it from thoughts; I would have us seek different pleasures, if you so will it.”

Nasir caressed the broad expanse of Agron’s chest. “I do,” he said, “with much enthusiasm.”

********************

Nasir had never been so eager to greet the streets of their small city as he did now. To be free of Valerius’ arms, even if surrounded by the stench of too many bodies in too small a space, was worth all prices to be paid.

The streets were filled with the excited whispers of some great news. Nasir wondered if there was yet another scandal trickling down from the wealthy families of the Palatine. It could take weeks for news to reach them this far down in Italia, brought only by merchants, traveling parties, and messengers expressly sent for such a purpose.

“What causes so many tongues to loosen?” Agron asked. He kept brushing against Nasir, as Camilla averted her eyes and pretended not to notice.

“They speak of Capua,” Camilla said. She frowned as she tilted her head to listen. “I wonder if that gladiator killed another legend; the man who slew the Shadow of Death must have a whole wealth of gladiators from Rome eager to fight him.”

“Those animals killed them all,” a woman whispered to an herb-seller. “Everyone in the house is dead, from the lanista down to the guests. They say Capua is full of fear. They want the ludus razed.”

“Have any found those fucking treacherous slaves?”

She shook her head. “It has been less than a week, who knows where they’ve gone. They say Praetor Glaber, who was a patron of the house, will stand responsible for its ruin. For now that Seppius attempts command for vengeance. I do hope the families were able to claim the bodies of their dead, or else the Ferryman will have none to pay him.”

The merchant shook his head. “May the gods strike down such faithless creatures.”

Nasir could feel Agron tense behind him and grabbed his forearm to stop any words that might flow from his lips. He smiled at the soft growl that came from Agron’s chest, before motioning for them to move on. He could feel the heavy weight of suspicious eyes as they, three slaves and therefore something less than human, made their way through city streets. It would be dangerous to linger among those who now eyed them as possible rebels. 

“We must keep together,” Nasir murmured. “Agron, do not engage any unless threat is made clear,” he warned. “We cannot afford possible consequence if we are viewed as attacking the freeborn and the citizens. If such a thing has happened, Valerius would not risk reputation for the sake of a few slaves.”

“Even you?” Agron questioned.

“Especially me,” Nasir replied. 

“It is best if we hurriedly gather our purchases and return to the villa,” Camilla said. “I no longer enjoy the air here.”

Nasir nodded in agreement. They were just past the city walls when someone called out to them. Nasir and Camilla turned, with Agron already preparing for a fight, to find Fulvius, a local slave-trader, addressing them.

“You are Valerius’ boy?” he asked, eyes only for Nasir, as if sizing him up for the market.

“I am,” Nasir said. He kept his face carefully blank; it would be unwise to give the man any sort of leverage. 

“I am ordered to deliver a gift into his hands. It must be delivered to him, before it continues to the mines.” The man smiled, showing a set of rotten teeth and a face full of more harmful intent.

“Steady,” Camilla whispered to Agron. 

Fulvius looked between the three of them, and must have seen something of warning in Agron’s eyes, for the smile faded and the man seemed to stumble over his words. “If your dominus wills it, I would deliver it this night.”

Nasir knew not to trust Greeks bearing gifts, but he wondered if the same applied to Roman shits who peddled in flesh. “Do you carry anything which details the terms of this delivery?” 

Fulvius nodded and pulled a small scroll from his cloak. Nasir eyed it with distaste, waiting for Agron to take it first. 

“I have been around goat shit that smelt better,” Agron commented. He shook the scroll to see if any small weapon was hidden inside. “Stench aside, it appears nothing but message.” He unraveled it and held it out for Nasir’s inspection.

A quick glance showed it was nothing but an attempt of a men reaching to those far above his status hoping to become equal. Nasir’s stomach rolled as he realized just what the delivery would be. He could not refuse, for the sake of their lives, even if he wished it.

“Bring her to our villa gates after midday. I will deliver message to Valerius and we will see if such generous gifts will be accepted,” Nasir said.

Fulvius nodded before he turned back to the city. Nasir waited until he disappeared from sight to share a long, sad look with Camilla.

“What is it?” Agron asked. 

“A sad necessity of a slave’s life,” Nasir said. 

 

********************

The gift for Valerius had finally been delivered to the house, long-traveled with bruises covering her skin. The girl, woman really for she appeared beyond Nasir’s years, had obviously been harshly used. There were scars on her face, though the beauty was still there, even among the harsh cut of her hair and the marks showing on her back. Her eyes were dead and she stood as if in a daze. This was not the first household she had come to, though it might be her last, since this villa was the last of true import before the mines, and Fulvius had already spoke of such a fate. 

Every slave knew there were far crueler punishments than death. The slave-girl before them stood as proof of that old adage, threat, and promise. What offense had she done to cause such? She appeared delicate even still, the mark which denoted her as a slave more a thing of pretty design, than the tattooed letters of an owner’s name. She was important then, before she was so punished. Nasir felt a shiver go down his spine as he looked into the possible outcome of his future.

“I will see to her alone,” Valerius said as he took her chin in a harsh hold and tugged her forward. “Tiberius, send a letter to that slimy lanista who attempts to converse with his betters. Thank him for the gift, even if it is _quite_ used.”

“Yes, dominus,” Nasir said. He kept his gaze away from the girl’s face, as his gut churned over the thought of what would happen. He did not raise his head until the echo of feet faded. 

Auctus and Pietros looked after her as if seeing a ghost. Auctus’ face went blank, frozen in a mask lacking all emotion. It was Pietros who stood with watering eyes as he cradled Elpis to his chest. Auctus shook his head before stomping out through the doors, as if the Furies themselves chased after him. 

“What is it?” Chadara asked, echoing the confusion so clear on Agron’s face. “Is she known to you?”

Pietros slowly nodded. His mouth opened and closed. He wet his lips as if they were suddenly parched. 

“Naevia,” he said. “Her name is Naevia.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And so this story ends, though there is far more to come in this 'verse. Thank you all for reading, commenting, and leaving kudos. It's been a joy.


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